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

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.

@brettmcee at what tracks and speeds sound the best? What make and model are the most reliable and best sounding? 

Chakster, I'm totally convinced that whether or not you choose SS over tubes depends on your choice of music, and the aspects of that music which appeal to you most; in other words, I doubt if the two camps like the same music; however, if I auditioned those two amps that you mentioned, I might come to the same conclusion.

@vinny55 Like with all things, I try to keep to a lower budget. I have a TEAC 2300s. It’s seems like a solid player. I had it setup and calibrated by a pro here in the Greater Los Angeles area. It handles 7 inch stereo 4-track reels at 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 inches per second (ips).

When it comes to what sounds best, generally stay away from late 1970s and early 80s, everything else has sounded pretty good!

The Pioneer rt701/707 were very well built units. 40lb well built!
Much more compact and less agricultural looking than some other units.
They could only handle 7 inch reels but playing at 7.5ips they are more than capable of delivering a stellar performance.

Best of all as they were plentiful when new, still lots of great examples around and prices are fair for a good working serviced unit, ($500 to $700).
Parts still readily available for most normal wear items.