Guitar Delay / Reverb pedal advice needed

[Old School Steve]

I just bought a Bogner Helios JB45 (thanks to input from this community) and now want to add high-quality, easy-to-use reverb and delay pedal(s) for both clean tones and Plexi/high gain to add a bit of depth and ambiance (think Doug Rappoport - although I can't play nearly as well).

I've done hours of reading (including a few threads on this site) and need to make two decisions for which I'm interested in your advice:

1. Combination pedal (reverb + delay), or individual pedals?
2. Highest quality, easiest to use pedals.

My situation/requirements:

• Setting: 100% home playing, no pedal boards to constrain space
• Budget: Willing to spend up to $500 for 2 pedals "if" they are worth the price. I am used to buying premium ($250-$400) boutique pedals and then I play them for 10-20 years (I rarely ever swap a pedal once I find something I like).
• Reverb type: Multiple (spring, hall, etc.)
• Delay type: Multiple (tape, digital, etc.)
• Ease of use: I get frustrated with complex menu's, software updates, and too many options. For instance, I don't have the patience to dive into the capability of a Strymon BlueSky or NightSky (I don't need a digital symphony of planetarium sounds). I don't use MIDI, Cakewalk, etc.
• Playing Style: Blues, Classic Rock, 90's gain tone (AIC, Creed, etc.) and some fusion

For a combo pedal, I am reading that a lot of guitarists are split between the following: Keeley Caverns v2, EarthQuaker Dispatch, and Source Audio Collider (although reviews of the new Encounter suggest its better). I worry if a combination pedal will sacrifice control over each effect (reverb, delay), so I'm leaning toward separate pedals.

INITIAL PEDAL RESEARCH
I've just discovered Strymon pedals and am very intrigued by their high-quality sounds.

> Reverb: I've watched videos of the Cloudburst and love the concept of ambient reverb and I think it would inspire me to explore more sounds and write more music. I think I read a Sweetwater review that said when the Ensemble switch is set to "off" you can still hear digital artifacts (not good, if true). Also, I think I read that the pedal does not sound great with medium/high gain amps (I hope that is wrong).

> Delay: the DIG pedal is intriguing as a possible first foray into owning a Strymon pedal. However, the Cloudburst & DIG total $600 -- so this path becomes pricey. If I were going to "splurge" on one of the pedals, I'm inclined to spent $300 on an ambient reverb (more flexible) as $150 can buy a good (enough) delay for guitar (e.g. MXR Carbon Copy, Boss DD-3T, TC Flashback)

I'd appreciate suggestions and a bit of explanation behind your thinking.
Steve

 

[Shask]

What about the Source Audio Collider?

 

[Old School Steve]

What about the Source Audio Collider?

You may not have seen it, but I had mentioned the Collider as one of the pedals that continually shows up in Reddit threads and other gear community sites. I have never seen the pedal, played it, or heard it.

If you have experience with the pedal, please share your thoughts.