magnetofon

Magnetofon is a term, primarily used in Eastern European countries, for a reel-to-reel tape recorder. The name itself is a combination of "magneto" referring to magnetism and "fon" from the Greek word for sound. These devices were widely used for recording and playing back audio, from music and speech to radio broadcasts.

Magnetofons utilize magnetic tape wound onto two reels. An erase head demagnetizes any previous recording on the tape, a record head converts the audio signal into magnetic fluctuations and impresses them onto the tape, and a playback head reads these magnetic patterns and converts them back into an electrical audio signal. The speed at which the tape moves across the heads, measured in inches per second (ips), significantly impacts the recording quality, with higher speeds generally offering better fidelity.

These machines were common in both professional studios and domestic settings before the advent of cassette tapes and digital audio formats. They were instrumental in the popularization of recorded music and broadcasting, allowing for the preservation and dissemination of sound. While largely superseded by more modern technology, vintage magnetofons are still appreciated by audiophiles and collectors for their sound characteristics and historical significance.