I have to disagree. There is no better sounding manufactured tape machine for tracking drums than the 3M M56 2" 16trk. Depending on how hard you hit it, the transient response is unbelievable. I never found the bass to be mushy with 499. Also, 15ips will give you a head bump at 50Hz, which you have to take into account.
But the punchiest basics I ever tracked in any format were on my 2" 16 track. Nothing compares to it.
BTW, unlike the M79, the M56 is all discrete.
Now the Studer A80, I find to be a little mushy, on the other hand. You can't just say 2" 16 without specifying which machine, CCIR or NAB, tape type, etc.