Reel to reel

@benjie- I didn't read that review, but i've heard some of the high end decks as sources using tapes sourced from masters. Some are just spectacular. There is a very 'filled in' sound and even with a top tier turntable, less of a sense of a machine running. Greg has been at the forefront of this revival of reel to reel as a source and is a very nice guy. I don't know if Robin Wyatt still uses tape- he had a Stellavox modified by Charlie King, using a Frankenpreamp cobbled together from old Levinson parts playing a Starker performance of that Kodaly piece for solo cello over a pair of old Quads. Myles played me a bunch of tapes on his system, which is top notch- it was pretty 'whoa'- especially on complex stuff where the LP tends to get a little congested- large orchestral passages. 
@orpheus10 - since the copy can't really be better than the source it is taken from, in your case, an LP, I'm wondering if you are hearing the effects of increased gain or juiciness through the tape process, including the tape preamp.
@cleeds- clearthink did suggest that tape was inferior. 
I don't think I have much more to contribute but will watch this thread with interest. 
regards,
bill hart

As I have said I am very happy with the results from my humble Sony TC-645 recording streamed hires music from Quboz at 7.5ips.

A very budget deck for sure but it somehow gives the music a little warmth and life that appears to be missing on the stream.

Call this distortion and an unfaithfull reproduction if you will I truly do not care, it is my ears and my equipment.

Been using some Ampex Professional 641 tape that I bought a job lot of on the Bay, new and sealed.
Do not really know whether this is good or bad tape but it records well enough for my needs.