I do wonder if you've heard either at its best. I have a Revox reel to
reel with a Dolby SR unit around it which gives results as near as dammit
to 16 bit PCM. FM radio can also be pretty good - although these days the
dreaded optimod type devices often ruin it.

Ok, I will take your word for it being very good. No I'm not taking the
mick - Revox have made some bloody good kit. In fact I would love one for
little jobs in my home studio - but not for Hi-Fi. I don't even use tape for
acoustic instruments - I go straight to harddisk. By your own admission it
only comes close to 16 bit PCM. It therefore falls short of what can be
obtained and misses the mark for me. If you have read my earlier posts you
may understand why this has no place in my agenda.

Paul