Even if, for example, the signal from a reel to reel tape deck is inferior to the signal from a CD player (most likely with my tape decks and tapes, definitely for some recordings I have), it is still more enjoyable to me to listen to music while watching the big reels spin.
Tubes usually do alter the signal (SE amplifiers, for example, usually have a lot of 2nd order harmonics), so it's a matter of preference. I, for example, prefer the sound of my (lo-fi) tube tape recorder for some music even though other music on it sounds bad.