Can we finally put Reel to Reel out of its misery? Put it to rest people.

@uberwalts

you really need to check out Ebay for reel-to-reel tapes there’s more than you think out there @uberwalts you really need to check out Ebay for reel-to-reel tapes there’s more than you think out there

There are no reel to reel tapes with music i can buy on vintage vinyl, but i am not listening to the mainstream, any reel to reel tape with rare stuff will cost more than my turntable. With all my respect to reel-to-reel format this is a problematic to find music i’m after.

@orpheus10

Now that I’ve down-loaded my records to digital I no longer use the record player. The expensive NOS Telefunken tubes in the phono pre went belly up, and I’m not going to replace them soon. I replaced them with some run of the mill tubes, but you know how that is; you can go up the ladder, but not back down, I’ll have to live without the TT until I replace those tubes with the NOS Telefunkens.

This is definitely not my scenario, i love to play records and i don’t like digital. But i have working telefunken tubes, probably the rarest of them (a quad of E84L and pair of ecc801s, both military versions from the 60s...). Honestly i prefer my solid state and no longer use tube amps or anything with tubes since i discovered First Watt, Pass Labs (by Nenson Pass). I am far more impressed by the sound of his gear than by those rare and overpriced telefunken in my ex triode push-pull arm after direct comparison in my system.

Reel to reel will always be great i love mine big time.

Chakster

You are certainly correct on cost.
But there are some great rare finds out there... At a significant cost.

I prefer to record my own from hires streaming.

@chakster 

Some of the best tapes come from the 1950s and 60s.  Classical, Jazz, Motown, R&B, Big Band, Vocal, there is so much selection available... The cherry on top is all the Pop and Rock from the late 60s and the 1970s!

Plus a well cared for tape from the 1950s (or any decade) will totally outplay the same title on a well cared for piece of vinyl. No ‘surface noise’, clicks, pops, static, or need for deep cleaning. No more of the resigned sentiment “I like the clicks and the pops, it’s part of the experience”.

With tape you just get the incredible illusion of real music being played for you.

To better illustrate Bretts excellent point.

I have a very nice copy of closer to home by Grand Funk on vinyl and same on r2r at 7.5ips.

My tt playback is no slouch but even on pioneer rt701 the reel is more satisfying in terms of depth and spatial imaging.
It just sounds more "real" Gor want of any better description.

Just depends how deep your wallet is on buying pre recorded reels. A lot out there but some crazy prices for real popular stuff like Zep or Floyd.