2xHD FUSION - FEEL THE WARMTH OF THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPE
|
What makes a truly exceptional reel-to-reel tape recording?
It is not simply the tape speed, the metal reels or the prestige of the equipment. The real difference lies in the provenance of the source, the integrity of the signal path and the judgement of the mastering engineer.
The multi-award-winning 2xHD label has earned an international reputation for producing some of the finest audiophile recordings available on reel-to-reel tape.
These releases offer something profoundly involving: warmth, immediacy, natural dynamics and a three-dimensional soundstage that can make the listener feel as though they are sitting inside the recording studio, only a few metres from the musicians.
THE 2xHD FUSION PHILOSOPHY
2xHD Fusion works across music production, analogue recording, licensing and audiophile remastering.
Its projects include recordings originally captured on equipment such as the legendary Nagra IV-S, as well as carefully licensed historic master recordings selected for their musical and sonic qualities.
Every release is approached individually. The objective is not to impose a fashionable “house sound,” but to reveal the information already contained within the original recording:
🎵 The natural tone of each instrument
🎵 The air surrounding the musicians
🎵 The depth and dimensions of the recording venue
🎵 Small performance details often hidden on conventional formats
🎵 The energy and emotional character of the original session
The music is not artificially reshaped. Instead, the mastering process seeks to uncover its natural warmth, transparency and spatial information.
AN EXTRAORDINARY ANALOGUE TRANSFER CHAIN
For qualifying AAA reel-tape editions, the original ¼-inch master tape is reproduced on a specially modified Nagra-T.
The playback machine incorporates:
• Custom high-end valve playback electronics
• OCC silver wiring directly from the playback head
• A Nick Doshi valve head preamplifier
• A custom-built carbon-fibre head block
• An electronic head-damping system
• Four direct-drive motors
• Two pinch rollers
• Precision tape-tension control
The Nagra-T is widely respected as one of the finest tape transports ever constructed. Its mechanical stability, exceptionally controlled tape handling and customised signal path allow 2xHD Fusion to retrieve remarkable transparency and three-dimensional imaging from the source tape.
The signal path is deliberately kept as short and pure as possible.
No unnecessary processing.
No compression.
No limiting.
No digital conversion within editions specifically designated as pure AAA.
The mastered signal is recorded in real time onto a Nagra IV-S, producing a ¼-inch, two-track tape at 15 ips, using the title’s specified CCIR/IEC or NAB equalisation curve.
PREMIUM RTM SM900 TAPE
Selected 2xHD Fusion Deluxe Editions are presented across two premium RTM SM900 high-output studio tapes, wound onto balanced metal audiophile reels manufactured by Feinwerktechnik Allgäu in Germany.
SM900 is designed for professional high-level studio recording, offering excellent dynamic capability, low noise and stable high-frequency performance.
The result is not merely another physical format. It is a carefully produced analogue artefact intended to preserve the musical authority of the original master.
MUSIC AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
The experience of master-quality reel tape is unlike passive digital playback.
You thread the tape.
You secure the NAB adapters.
You select 15 ips.
You confirm the correct equalisation.
The reels begin to turn.
Then the room disappears.
A great 2xHD tape can reveal instrumental textures, venue ambience, harmonic complexity and depth that make the recording feel tangible. Voices acquire physical presence. Percussion becomes immediate. Strings breathe naturally. The silence surrounding each note becomes part of the performance.
This is analogue reproduction at its most immersive.
IS YOUR RECORDER COMPATIBLE?
A suitable machine must support:
✅ ¼-inch tape
✅ Two-track stereo playback
✅ 15 ips or 38 cm/s
✅ The equalisation curve specified for the release: CCIR/IEC or NAB
✅ 10½-inch reel capacity
✅ Correctly aligned and well-maintained playback heads
Potentially suitable machines include appropriately configured versions of:
• Ballfinger M 063
• Nagra T or Nagra IV-S with QGB
• Otari MX-5050 two-track high-speed models
• Studer B67, A80, A810 and A820
• ReVox PR99 high-speed two-track versions
• Technics RS-1500-series machines with two-track 15 ips playback
• Telefunken M5, M10, M12 and M15
• Selected Ampex, MCI, Scully, Lyrec, Philips and United Home Audio machines
Compatibility always depends on the exact model, head configuration, speed and equalisation options. Familiar model names alone are not sufficient—particularly where manufacturers produced both two-track and four-track versions.
THE ART OF ANALOGUE ALCHEMY
At the heart of the 2xHD process is mastering engineer René Laflamme, an audiophile recording specialist and microphone designer whose systems have received extensive recognition at international high-end audio exhibitions.
His work is founded on careful listening rather than specifications alone. Every component in the chain is selected for its ability to preserve timing, tonal colour, ambience and musical emotion.
This combination of engineering, experience and instinct is what makes the 2xHD system feel like a form of analogue alchemy.
OUR VERDICT
2xHD Fusion reel-to-reel releases represent far more than nostalgia.
They are created for listeners who want to move closer to the original recording—to experience music without unnecessary barriers between the master tape and the listening room.
For the dedicated analogue collector, these editions offer:
⭐ Master-quality two-track reproduction
⭐ Real-time 15 ips duplication
⭐ Premium professional recording tape
⭐ Carefully selected analogue electronics
⭐ Exceptional warmth, depth and realism
⭐ A beautifully presented collectable format
This is music reproduced with scale, presence and emotional authority.
This is the brilliance of master reel-tape sound.
|
This is 2xHD Fusion.
Explore 2xHD Fusion releases on master reel tape, vinyl and audiophile CD through OpenReelToReel Group and The Sound of Tape.
What matters most to you when choosing a master-tape release: provenance, mastering chain, tape formulation, presentation—or the emotional experience of listening?
Share your thoughts below.
2xHD — Feel the Warmth.
Keeping the Reel-to-Reel Renaissance in Motion. Powered By OpenReelToReel Hub - Available @ Online Store - The Sound of Tape
 |
#2xHD #2xHDFusion #MasterTape #ReelToReel #OpenReelToReel #TheSoundOfTape #Nagra #NagraT #NagraIVS #RTMSM900 #AnalogueRecording #AAARecording #15IPS #Audiophile #HighEndAudio #MagneticTape #MasterQualitySound
