TDK DS-X Review: Frequency Response, Distortion, and Listening Test
Sean VShare
Guest review by our customer Sean V.
Tape tested: TDK DS-X
Category: Type I Super Ferric
Quick Results Summary
| Test Frequency | Clean Up To | Distortion Audible At |
|---|---|---|
| 40Hz (sub bass) | 0dB and lower | Light distortion at +3dB, definitely present at +6dB |
| 400Hz | +4dB | Harmonic change begins around +5.5dB, clear by +6dB |
| 1kHz | +5dB | Clearly present at +5.5dB and +6dB |
Measured on an Aiwa F-770 deck against Fostex TT-15 oscillator tones, with noise reduction off. Full methodology below.
Equipment Used
- Deck: Aiwa F-770
- Mixing console: Soundcraft GB2 32 channel mixer
- Speakers: Kali Audio Lone Pine 6.5 inch
- Headphones: Audeze LCD-X
- Noise Reduction: Off
- Digital output: 44.1kHz FLAC lossless files sent into the mixing console then to the Aiwa F-770 input
- Test Oscillator: Fostex TT-15, featuring 40Hz, 400Hz, 1kHz, 10kHz, and 15kHz tones used for biasing some reel to reel decks
Frequency Response Test
40Hz: Sub Bass
At 0db or lower on tape, this oscillating bass sine was clear with no distortion noticed. It wasn't until +3db on the tape that I began to hear a light introduction of distortion, and more noticeable at +4db and definitely present at +6db. This tape should be capable of handling low frequencies as any good premium ferric, impressive.
400Hz
At 0db, +2db I did not notice any distortion at 400hz oscillator tone. Even at +4db the sound seems to maintain stable and even level. At +5.5db some harmonic change begins to happen, it wasn't until +6db that I could clearly hear a change in tonality and the meters began to show some instability.
1kHz
At 0db and lower, again stable and no distortion heard. As i slowly raised the record input, meter levels hit +2db, still- tonality is solid and true to the oscillation tone. I pushed higher until I hit +5db, surprisingly the sound remains stable even here at 1Khz, it wasn't until I hit +5.5, and +6db that distortion was clearly present.
Music Test: Prince of Denmark
Rather than reviewing all songs and their recording quality, I have chosen a few selections to describe here.
I began to record 2 EP's from Prince of Denmark, albums which I have on vinyl but were never released digitally till very recently. The EP's are titled "To the Fifty Engineers" and "Soulfood". This music utilizes a wide range of the sound spectrum which is perfect to test the TDK DS-X.
Track: "Untitled"
The opening track is "Untitled". It begins with a very deep sub bass kick that also has a higher frequency compressed punch, the attack of the sound has a lot of snap/thwack. I did not hear the attack being muddied, the bass was impactful and true as I flipped from tape to source in my headphones. I did notice that attempting to record below +3 or yielded noticeable noise floor, but I could safely be recorded louder. I chose +5db to be the level at which most peaks occurred. The sub bass's decay also was heard easily and did not sound truncated or lost on the tape. There is a layered melodic synth in the background that utilizes a sidechained white noise. Again no issue whatsoever. I found this Berlin school techno music to be a fine use case, even without noise reduction.
Track: "Countless World Illuminated"
The third song "Countless World Illuminated" is one that is cut much quieter on the vinyl and appears to share the same for the digital. This track has tremolo synth layers auto panned across the spectrum like breathing sonic pillars, while the kick drum takes a back seat. There is clear movement happening as ethereal pads rise/fall throughout the song. Listening in the LCD-X headphones I noticed that the sonic detail was preserved well on the DS-X tape. This track features a lot of sound design and recurring thematic elements that are easy to miss. My ears had no issue latching on, the mix sounds cohesive and musical. Knowing that there is a portion of the song gets much louder than the first 3/4 of the song, I dared to continue the recording without testing this part first. Once the song reached this jump in volume the meters peaked at +6db, things did not fall apart and the music did not distort, very nice! Performance is lining up with what I'd expect from TDK AR's I've used in previous recordings.
Track: "Soulfood"
Lastly, and probably the most challenging track is "Soulfood" the title track of the EP. This track features a huge bouncing bassline, compressed TR-909 claps, and a beautifully designed minor key synth stabs. The synthesizer lead progressively becomes louder, more distorted, and longer in decay as the song progresses. Halfway through, enters a large rhythmic noise layer, which has a long echoic decay. The smaller percussive elements of the song have a quiet interplay which is still easy to hear on the tape recording despite their lower volume in the mix. The challenging part about this song, is both the lead sound and noise layer repeat themselves before the previous reverberation tail has fully decayed, this leads to layering of the reverberation harmonics which increases resonant frequencies for effect in a dramatic build up. The song stayed at consistent +5db sometimes +6db during this part but did not saturate or lose fidelity. The DS-X captured this mix true to the source, even with the large jumps in dynamics and dense material. The kick attack never disappeared, fast attacks and percussive sounds did not disintegrate, nor was the heavy white noise at the end proclamation. Fantastic recording!
Verdict
The TDK-DSX remained within its capability for both EPs. The soundstage was excellent, I could easily hear the placement of sounds in the mix on my speakers. Having recorded on this tape many times and passed along DS-X mixtapes to friend's of mine I'll say, this is a true sleeper tape. For all we know, its a rebadged TDK AR and performs like one, the main difference being the shells. In my opinion its one of the best bang-for-your-buck tapes to record on. Its great for any music, but I really dig it for electronic styles or other higher energy material if you prefer to record with no noise reduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum recording level for TDK DS-X before distortion?
It varies by frequency: clean up to 0dB at 40Hz, +4dB at 400Hz, and +5dB at 1kHz, with distortion becoming clearly audible above those levels based on testing against Fostex TT-15 oscillator tones on an Aiwa F-770 deck.
Is TDK DS-X good for electronic and techno music?
Yes. In testing with dense electronic tracks including sub bass, sidechained synths, and layered percussion, the tape held up to large dynamic jumps and stayed true to the source without saturating.
Does TDK DS-X need noise reduction to sound good?
No. This test was recorded entirely with noise reduction off, and the tape still performed cleanly across a wide dynamic range.
Is TDK DS-X the same as TDK AR?
According to this review, TDK DS-X may be a rebadged version of TDK AR, with performance lining up closely and the shell being the main difference.
What test equipment was used to evaluate this tape?
A Soundcraft GB2 32-channel mixer, Fostex TT-15 oscillator tones, an Aiwa F-770 deck, Audeze LCD-X headphones, and Kali Audio Lone Pine 6.5 inch speakers, with 44.1kHz FLAC lossless digital reference audio.