Wollensak Reel to Reel Tape Recorder
Playback Performance Demo Video

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This page provides a demo of the Wollensak 5750 reel to reel tape recorder playback. This piece of vintage audio equipment was restored/rebuilt after a purchase on E-Bay and it arrived as a complete "DOA" (Dead On Arrival).

This page has a performance demo of the Wollensak 5750 EV (Early Version) playing a commercial tape produced in 1966. It is recorded by a digital camera monaural microphone and does not do justice to the full sound output of the tape recorder (see last paragraph for more info).

The head cover has been removed to show the "power cam", capstan and pinch roller (on the right) and pressure pad assembly (on the left).

The 5000 series was unique in having a single "head" for all functions - erase, recording, and playback. Most machines of the time had at least two heads, an erase head and a record/playback head. High end units had three heads, erase, record, playback. While the goal was for the three head design (more reliable electronically and sonically), Wollensak seems to have chosen to move in the opposite direction, possibly to keep the overall design of their machines more compact.

The 5750 came in two models, the EV (Early Version) shown here - dating from approximately 1967, and the LV (Late Version) of unknown date (the 5000 series was produced between 1965 and 1969).

In the EV, the "power cam" assembly had no provision for lifting the tape away from the combination erase/record/playback head when activated, resulting in an unpleasant "woo - wow - squeal " sound as the machine lost speed and connection between the tape and the head during the "power cam" operation. This is clearly evident in the video.

The "direct line" pressure pad assembly (two spring loaded straight plastic bars with felt pads on the end) were an unconventional design that sometimes made the tape misalign with the combination erase/record/playback head. The design of this assembly made it impractical for a simple lever operation to disengage them, so they only release when the entire transport is moved away from the head by the "power cam".

The EV main drive idler wheel (not shown here, see "Main Cabinet" in the Restoration section, or just click here) never disengages from the motor and capstan flywheel, leaving it vulnerable to developing "flat spots" if the machine is not used for an extended period of time.

The LV had changes made to the design of the main drive idler wheel assembly, the pressure pad assembly (opting for the more conventional "swing arm" style, which could easily be disengaged by a simple lever), and the "power cam" to correct these problems.

Nevertheless, the sound output from the Wollensak 5750 EV is excellent. This video, made with a digital camera, has a mono sound track through a built in microphone with an ARL (automatic record level) circuit and does not do the sound quality full justice by any means. However, the "echo" heard (which is actually the stereo imaging being captured as a form of reverb by the microphone on the camera) hints at the full quality of the output from the Wollensak 5750.

A Stereo Treat - You Won't Believe Your Ears!

The stereo effect of the 5700 is particularly good, and the volume is quite loud. In this video demo, the two volume knobs (located above the fast forward, rewind lever) are only set to "3", providing more than enough music power to fill an entire room. The limitations of the camera microphone make this hard to tell on this page. But there is a better solution:

You can hear an amazing full stereo MP3 recording taken directly from the pre-amp outputs of the Wollensak 5750. MP3 does not improve sound, it is simply a compression routine for the computer, so the sound you hear is actually LESS that what the Wollensak 5700 produces.

For a sample of stereo playback performance of a commercial tape, please click here.

For a sample of recording performance, please click here.

 

 

Please note that ClydeSight Productions DOES NOT rebuild or sell vintage reel to reel tape recorders, nor can we help anyone involved in such a project. The tape recorders shown in these pages are part of a personal collection and are not for sale. We Do Not recommend that unqualified or inexperienced persons attempt to restore vintage audio equipment.

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