Reel to Reel

You can try reels by purchasing cheaper unit first. I got my Akai GX-77 for like $300 on eBay. If you like the experience, you can always upgrade. But then, it depends what you want to do with the unit. Record LPs? You probably don't need 15 IPS unit for that. Purchase master-level 15 IPS tapes? They are $$$, I could never justify the expense for myself. YMMV.

I got into R2R about 6 or 7 years ago and as others have pointed out it is a very good sounding source. I have a Teac X300 (bought refurbished for $400) which does 3.75 and 7.5 IPS only, but since I am only interested in purchasing factory made tapes from the 60s and 70s I’m perfectly fine with that. To my ear the sound is quite immersive and it’s a little mesmerizing watching the reels spin!

It is an interactive medium! You can’t just sit back and push buttons on an app and serve up music. You have to be sure the rollers and the heads are clean, and have to get up and string the tape after each side (unless you get an auto-reverse model). There is also the occasional snapped tape which requires some splicing skill. Not often but it does happen. especially if you do buy old factory tapes after all they are now 50 years old.

I also have fun scouring local auction sites for old tapes. If you purchase factory tapes there has to be some patience involved as well. Many sellers in my mind way over price these. It takes a while to look for someone who has them at what I consider a reasonable price. I’m OK in the $25-$30 range depending on which album/artist I’m trying to get. I did score an estate sale group of 80 tapes last year at 16 bucks apiece that kept me busy for awhile.

About 15 years ago my brother in laws mother died.  She had been a hoarder and amongst the Aladdin’s cave of treasures in the home was an R2R from her deceased husband that was at least 40 years old and had been in the attic for decades.  I forgot the manufacturer but it might have been Sony.  The family badgered me to take it.  I bought a couple of very expensive tapes and then couldn’t get it to run.  I took it to an audio repair shop that I’ve had other wise vey good experiences with, and they couldn’t promise me anything but said they would give it a shot.  $200 and two months later they basically admitted defeat-to many difficult to replace parts.  I tried with what they had done and it was muffled and had speed variability issues.  I haven’t been interested in R2R since

I had this Sony reel to reel that I bought through a friend in the Army PX, and I loved it for years until it broke and was badly repaired. I had used it to make mix tapes from LP's. My friends had lesser decks and did the same. 

Those days are over for sure. I can do everything with digital, and all of the reel to reel gear and tapes have become unaffordable It's still a wonderful memory. That was a beautiful and elegant auto reverse deck!

I've had R2R's in my system since I was a teenager.  I currently own a Revox B77 (vintage).  It was refurbished by Curt Palmer (Reel to Reel Tech).  Great guy and one of the best at R2R refurbishing.  Buy one of his decks and you won't be sorry.

In terms of SQ,Not quite there with my DCS Bartok or my almost fully upgraded LP 12, but I have 50 or so reels of tape of out of print or live recorded music that I can't replace.  Listening to those tapes through my Revox is a pleasant experience for sure.