I grew up listening to Capriccio Italien on a tubed Tandberg R2R through VOT’s and it would move you deeply. I own 2 Sony’s, a 756-2 (1/2 track) and a 765 1/4 track. Both record and play at 15 ips. even though I never use that speed.
I have old 2 track tapes from the 40’s that sound incredible that were found on ebay. You can still find an occasional sealed tape which can be expensive depending on the artist, usually the 1/4 tracks. There is a sealed Beatles 7.5 ips for a cool 1000 on that site now.
I use mine to create a "my tape" and record my favorite songs to listen to over and over if I choose to. It sounds as good as the vinyl and I don’t wear out my vinyl and needles (which can cost a fortune). The heads for the Sony’s last a looong time.
Cheers