As I'm getting older I appreciate convenience whenever possible. This is also true regarding audio, where I stream most of my music.. However, I still enjoy listening to my Nakamichi ZX7 from time to time. It produces far more distortion than my digital sources, yet still sounds good after 40 years. I used to own a Revox B77 Mark II and before that a Revox A77. Both were great sounding decks, but I sold the A77 because it was not very reliable. The B77 on the other hand was very reliable. IMHO there's something enjoyable about handling physical media that is absent with streaming technology. So I enjoy the best of both worlds by using both technologies.
The dangerous world of Reel-to-Reel Tape
It feels like I re-entered the world of tape knowing full well of all the downsides, yet I did it anyway. I spent much of my youth glued to my dad's decks, making recordings. As cassette and digital came of age, I always appreciated the sound of tape.
Whether this adventure is worth it is a subjective exercise. For folks who plop down $500-$1k on cables or those who swap gear often, tape is really not that expensive, relatively speaking. Titles are limited though.
The sound quality and experience is quite something. Before jumping back into R2R, I had 4 versions of Muddy Waters' Folksinger. Hearing Chad Kasem's firm's work on it in 15ips it's just something else. Body, size, and presence are just different than very good vinyl and digital. And this is with the stock reproduce board from a Revox PR99 MKIII. I can only imagine what's going to happen when I rebuild that card, put in a modern one, or run directly from the head out to a preamp.
Maybe I'll see some of you in R2R Rehab, where I'll try to get sober from tape.