What makes tape sound better than vinyl ?

So would something like a Nak Dragon or Tandberg 3014 come close to a high end vinyl setup, or would it just be a waste of time? Just thought it would be cool to make some mix tapes from my vinyl.

For this kind of money I would go with open reel deck.

Inna, I think you are beginning to see the light, and at a good time I might add.

When I bought my reel, they wouldn't even dust the thing off for you, take it as is. Now, since they can get decent money for a reel, they make sure it's running properly, and that's a good thing for someone who can't fix stuff.

I think this is the best time to buy a reel; new ones are too expensive, and any kind of demand is going to deplete the good used one's; life is too short to sit back and desire something that's at hand for you to get.

orpheus10, you are absolutely right. Problem is that I am the responsible one for strategic finances, and with power come the obligations and rationality. I could get $5k Studer in no time but I will not. Still, I am working on it. Besides, I also need good tube phono stage, what I have now won't cut it for a high level open reel deck. Life is short but not very short.

nmps, i think you have to accept that we all hear differently. There are characteristics of analog reproduction are a more pleasing to people, just as there are characteristics of digital reproduction that are pleasing to others.

I am also in a business that overlaps with the sound business and did an analog v. digital test on a feature film mixing stage. We did a mix and recording of the final sound of a film (of which the music score is a separate element) to hard drive as is the norm now.... this on the finest equipment available, directly from a Pro Tools session. We also simultaneously recorded to 6-track magnetic film which is analogous to reel to reel and the way film sound used to be mastered . We did a playback of both units so we were able to A/B and there wasn't a person in the room that didn't think the analog master sounded way better. More real. More human. With the music especially, the analog master showed way better accuracy of tone and reproduced the sense of the room the music was recorded in way better than the digital master. I think there's just something about analog that reproduces ambient space and it makes tone and space feel more real.