In simplistic form it sounds like my vinyl LPs suffer the issues of the master tape noise and distortions, then compound on top of that the production issues with making the vinyl record from it.
There may be less losses if the master tape has been stored well and not stepped on to many times.
My tape electronics may be higher quality than my vinyl electronics.
Hence, I hear better sound from my tapes.
But, tape may not be the best media when compared to vinyl done right. Or maybe even digital.
I guess that is all fine and acceptable if I want to limit myself to a few well done albums. But I am not going to do that. I strictly listen to music I like and want to listen to. I don't ever play "audiophile" music for entertainment. I only play it when I have to do work such as analyzing something.
Ultimately, If I grab an album, or a digital stream and its a decent piece of media, I don't notice the losses. I sit back and very much enjoy my system. Its just a bit annoying when I do a comparison head to head and you hear the limitations in one or the other source. Heck, I would also be irritated if a $400 tape did not sound better than a digital file or record. That too would have been a big waste of money. And I have talked to people who are very disenfranchised with tape because they have other excellent sources that play better than the tapes they have aquired. My particular system with my individual media is what it is. It is by no means a measure of what can be.