Does Anyone Think CD is Better Than Vinyl/Analog?

     My perspective is that cds have always had the potential, and had the advantage spec capacity wise, to outperform vinyl and to be an excellent source medium but have failed to live up to their potential for several reasons.
     One of these reasons or issues, as mijostyn already identified, is that the cd record companies virtually forced their recording engineers to mix their cds to attain a higher average SPL level which sacrificed the very good dynamics the digital cd format is capable of, resulting in 'uni volume' and the 'loudness wars'. 
     The cd format, after all, is just the lowest resolution current version of the lossless digital recording and playback format.  As such, it still has numerous distinct advantages over both vinyl and  reel to reel tape formats, such as lower distortion, lower noise floor, a greater frequency range and greater dynamics. 
     I have no reason to doubt teo_audio's claim that there is a fundamental flaw in all current analog to digital converters except for my personal experience listening to hi-res downloads recorded direct to digital and with minimal miking and mixing, mainly from The Sound Liaison Music Shop in Europe.
     These are all recorded direct to digital as the music is played live at their fairly large studio that has excellent acoustics.   However, I have no idea about the analog to digital conversion technology or equipment they utilize. I've only downloaded the 24 bit/96 KHz FLAC file versions thus far, but all of these recordings are clearly superior to the hundreds of ripped cd recordings on my hard drive.  The most obviously superior attributes I notice are an extremely low noise floor, very high levels of detail, stereo sound stage imaging that is very well defined with a natural 'you are there' presentation and the naturally high dynamics normally only perceived on music played and experienced live. 
     I should also note that I have nothing against vinyl and know it can also be extremely good.  I just perceive high resolution digital, that's recorded direct to digital and played back at 24 bit/96 KHz or higher resolution, to be superior in overall sound quality and a heck of a lot more convenient.
     I understand that my post doesn't strictly adhere to the OP's thread question, but that's my take on what type of sources I prefer to listen to.  I believe the fact that most cds are mixed poorly and very few are recorded direct to digital, explains why their overall sound quality performance level is not consistently superior to vinyl.

Tim

no

more different

It depends on your hearing, or what’s left of it in my case. The point is, play what you enjoy in any format. Life is too short now to become over absorbed in background noise or some other audio imperfections. Have a Coke and put on something that you haven’t hear and imagine yourself in the studio or hall. 

even on top notch equipment, i still find surface noise to be bothersome. the odd click or pop startles me like a firecracker would amidst the calm. i find that only PERFECT analog [everything top-drawer and in top spec/adjustment] is "fatigue-free" while all the rest irritates me after a while. when program content analog tape hiss pops up between the comparatively hiss-free [but still broadband-noise-laden] "silent" grooves, that bugs me also, they should IMHO put the hiss all through the record and not just during the music tracks. off-center pressings [the rule rather than the exception, i have found] bug me as the pitch wavers. the pinch effect towards the end [engineer tom dowd expressed frustration with this aspect of LP reproduction] makes the music with the rotten luck of being put there near the end of each side, sound frankly subpar. being a hunter of good old musics, i can't count the number of discs i've found that look shiny clean but have been ruined by blunted needles/accumulated mistracking damage, that are fit only for airborne target practice. for all these reasons plus some others not mentioned here, i much prefer digital, even compressed [not lower than 320 kb/s VBR] digital is preferable to all those aforementioned music-wrecking nasty little hummers. 

Thoughts from the dark side.
Of course it is, why do you even need to ask the question. Just look at the hassle you go through to purchase, maintain and play vinyl. Look at the pain you go through to set up a high end turntable! Then there’s finding the perfect pressing or long sought album, only to get it home and find it off centered, warped and twisted with a nice noisy run-out (ah don’t mention surface noise)! Then there’s storage (spare room anyone), cleaning them before use and of course if your are serious you have your ~$3K Degritter record cleaner!
And we are supposed to believe that a Turntable with its power supply, tone arm, cartridge, stylus, tone arm cable, phono cable, phono stage, excluding vodo record mats, dampers and isolation issues is really better?

Hi end vinyl is pressed the same way cheap vinyl used to be - by hand! Modern cheap vinyl is pressed automatically. I used to work for a record pressing company (many years ago) and did Quality Control for the physical presses (rather than the sound quality), so I had plenty of first hand experience of trying to produce decent vinyl and procure it for my collection. Anyone that thinks their vinyl is flat think again!
As soon as Meridian produced their MCD Pro, I stopped buying vinyl and gradually replaced the vinyl I had with CD’s.
So when you say "better", for me it’s never even been a question. And, the quality/musicality of digital audio is (and has been) gradually tracking upwards. Given how long "LP’s" (in their various incarnations) have been around, digital audio is, well not nascent, but still improving.