Teac X-3 Reel To Reel Recorder Review

The Teac X-3 is a two-speed, quarter-track stereo open-reel deck with three motors, three heads, and a solenoid-con-trolled transport. Designed to operate at 7-1/2 and 3-3/4 ips, it accepts reel sizes up to 7 inches in diameter and permits mic/line mixing, external timer activation, and “punch-in” recording—that is, going directly from play into record mode to replace old material with new.

The capstan of the X-3 is belt-driven by a d.c. servomotor, and a pair of induction motors are used to turn the reel hubs. Two tape lifters hold the tape away from the heads during fast winding in either direction. Spring-loaded arms on either side of the head block, each equipped with a rotating tape guide, take up the tape slack during start and stop operations, and a third rotating bearing to the left of the heads helps reduce wow and flutter.

Positive-locking (except for stop) push-buttons with relatively long travel (3/i6 inch) control the rewind, fast forward, play, record, and pause functions as well as tape-speed selection and power on/off. Other buttons select either source (input) or tape (playback) monitoring, a momentary-contact record mute function, and one of two alternative settings for equalization and bias. Concentric (left- and right-channel) rotary controls adjust microphone and line-level inputs and the line-level output (which also affects the volume level at the front-panel headphone jack). Front-panel phone jacks are also provided for a pair of microphones with a rated impedance of 200 ohms or higher.

The record/playback indicators are VU-type meters calibrated from —20 to +3 VU. A four-digit counter, driven by the take-up reel, indicates tape position, and the head-block cover is easily removable for access to the heads for cleaning, demagnetizing, and editing. The X-3 has mounting feet that permit either vertical or horizontal operation.

The rear panel of the X-3 contains the usual input and output phono jacks. Overall, the unit measures 16-1/8 x 12-13/16 x 7-1/4 inches (width, height, depth) and weighs a little less than 31 lbs. Retail price: $550.

Laboratory Measurements

Teac did not supply us either with test data or with the specific tape types for which our sample of the X-3 was adjusted. Playback frequency response, shown in the accompanying graph, was checked with our new MRL (Magnetic Reference Laboratory) calibrated tapes, which we believe are the most accurate available. The slight high-end rolloff (3 dB at 20 kHz and 7-1/2 ips) was not repeated in overall record-playback tests. This, together with the fact that the 0-VU point on the meters corresponded exactly to the Ampex operating level of 185 nanowebers/meter, leads us to suspect that Teac probably used Ampex alignment tapes (which have a slightly hotter high end) in setting up the X-3. In any event, we could discern no audible degradation in high-frequency response with prerecorded tapes.

While checking overall record-playback frequency response, we found that switching from position No. 1 to position No. 2 on the equalization selector raised the response approximately 2 dB at 20 kHz—a very slight difference. The reduction in bias current caused by changing the bias switch from position No. 1 to position No. 2 had a much more profound effect on 20-kHz response, increasing it by 3.5 dB at the 7-1/2-ips speed and by 10 dB at 3-3/4 ips. When using premium tapes, however, distortion increased severely in bias position No. 2; it is clearly intended for older or “second-line” tape formulations that require less bias.

Both TDK Audua and Memorex Quantum gave outstanding record-playback performance at both tape speeds. The Audua was marginally flatter at 7-1/2 ips and the Quantum (using equalization No. 2) slightly flatter at 3-3/4 ips, so we used these for the graph and for signal-to-noise-ratio (S/N) measurements. (The Memorex Quantum had a slightly better S/N at both speeds.) As the graph shows, at 7-1/2 ips there was absolutely no difference in frequency response between the 0-VU and the — 20-VU curves: both were flat out to 20 kHz, and at the latter level we did not reach the — 3-dB point until 28 kHz, well above the upper limit of our chart paper. Response was down 3 dB at 30 Hz, precisely confirming Teac’s specification. At the slower speed, response was again impressively flat, with 30 Hz and 20 kHz marking the —3-dB points at a — 20-VU input. Interestingly, with a 0-VU input level, high-end response held up very well to slightly above 10 kHz, which is slightly better than we normally obtain when using metal-particle tape on top-quality cassette decks.

Distortion at a 0-VU input level, using a 1,000-Hz tone, measured 0.42 per cent with the TDK Audua (7-1/2 ips) and 0.2 per cent with Memorex Quantum (3-3/4 ips). To reach the customary 3 per cent third-harmonic distortion level it was necessary to raise the levels by 7.6 and 10.2 dB, respectively. Referred to the 3 per cent distortion point, the unweighted signal-to-noise ratios were 56.8 dB (7-1/2 ips, TDK Audua) and 57.6 dB (3-3/4 ips, Memorex Quantum). On an IEC A-weighted basis they registered 62.1 and 63.1 dB, respectively.

On an overall record-rewind-playback basis, the wow and flutter of the X-3 measured 0.04 and 0.07 per cent using the DIN peak-weighted standard and 0.035 and 0.06 per cent weighted rms at the higher and lower speeds, respectively. A 0-VU meter indication required a line-level input of 0.059 volt (59 millivolts) or a microphone input level of 0.22 millivolt. Microphone input overload level was 66 millivolts. The microphone input impedance is rated for 200-ohm (or higher) pickups. A 0-VU meter indication produced an output level of 0.84 volt.

Fast-forward and rewind times for a 1,800-foot reel were each 102 seconds, and the resulting tape pack was admirably smooth. VU-meter ballistics were slightly slower than the ASA standard (0-VU level pulses of 300 milliseconds read —4 VU instead of 0 VU). The headphone jacks produced more than adequate volume both with our 600-ohm and nominal 8-ohm phones.

Comment

As its excellent measurements would imply, the performance of the Teac X-3 in our listening tests was first-rate. Even when using high-level FM inter-station noise—an extremely severe test— we could detect no frequency-response losses between the original and the taped copy. Using very wide-range material we could detect a very small amount of added hiss at 7-1/2 ips (and a little more at 3-3/4 ips), but for anyone to whom this is a problem an external Dolby-B processor—desirable in any case if you wish to listen to prerecorded tapes—would be a completely effective answer. Tapes were handled smoothly, and the controls and pushbuttons had a positive feel. More expensive machines might bring with them additional features of interest to the semi-professional recordist (10-1/2-inch reel capacity, a “dump-edit” mode, etc.), but for the average home user the low price and excellent performance of the Teac X-3 would be very hard to beat.

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