I have recently re-discovered VHS for operas. Considering the age of some of the tapes, the sound is surprisingly good (and readily available on eBay). I have a recent model JVC DR MV150, which appears to be quite flimsy. Any recommendations for what I should look for? I have a Mitsubishi HSU970 in storage
Jamesdad
If you buy a Blue Ray player, and invest in the rapidly growing inventory of fine opera in BD, you will have an even better opera experience. VHS is like old shellack 78 rpm records compared to BD.
If you use a VHS player intensively it will give trouble sooner rather than later.
The arrival of DVD was an absolute deliverance and now BD is just icing on the cake. I think BD has the best quality of any media available and the picture is superb also.
If it is opera you love and enjoy like I do, then Blue Ray all the way. On my rig it is better than 95% of the seats on the house and actually likely better than any of the seats in the house.
I have to confess I have actually enjoyed opera more in my studio/media room, than I have in the opera house. VHS was not a a good opera experience for me and I never built up a large collection of opera on VHS.
The new Ring cycle from the Met on BD is fantastic by the way. But be warned it takes a powerful and very well engineered system to to it justice.
The Ring demands huge resources from the playback system. There is just no source out there that puts greater demands on the audio system than the Ring. Nothing. It is the absolute audio Mount Everest. The Ring pushes singers, orchestra, set and stage designers to and and beyond sane limits and the same goes for your AV system.
The main driving force for my design of the system you will see in my signature, was to do justice to the Ring, and that it does.
