Why no interest in reel to reel if you're looking for the ultimate sound?

@cd318

Digital is measurably better than analogue by any known yardstick

speak for yourself. Analog is measurably superior to digital by the account of many audiophiles. 

Turntables are for real audiophiles,

My dealer who has both a great quarter inch reel to reel tape machine and also a great turntable claims that his 45 rpm jazz records sound very close to his tape machine jazz recordings.   With classic music, I myself have at least fifteen 45 rpm lp's that were transferred from 35 mm magnetic film tape which is over five times larger than the quarter inch tape that audiophiles are using.   Initially the costs for a great turntable set up are quite high, but with the right amplification, speakers, and lp's you can recreate a live performance in your own home.

A good cassette from the mid 80s to mid 90s, on naked Grado SR-60 headphones sounds very close to electrostatic speakers in terms of dynamics and speed. Awesome, dude! Get the ones on Capitol, Elektra, Virgin, Atlantic, I.R.S., Reprise, MCA, and others. 

Expense, Pain in the a-- factor, Availability of recordings. Expense. Service & Support. Expense... but if you’ve really got the HiFi bug, they are the pinnacle.

@cd318

Digital is measurably better than analogue by any known yardstick

This is known as ostentatious ignorance.