Has anyone been able to define well or measure differences between vinyl and digital?

@cleeds ,

I did not mean you with respect to "digital confusion".

I do think vinyl done well, excellent pressing (clean), good turntable, good cartridge, all properly setup sounds very good. I don't think you need to spend $50K either. $10K maybe. I also think if you listen to that side by side with CD, you will always be able to differentiate them, even if its the slightest tick. Anytime I have been in situations where they are compared side by side, they are always different. I won't claim the level matching was perfect. If the vinyl frequency response was not flat, I am not sure that is possible.

I am open to it being just mastering, mastering and cross-talk, maybe my FR is not as flat as I think it is, etc. 

I think my only point, at this point, is that for people who have a vinyl preference, there are simple and probably obvious reasons we could find if we looked closely at their system or the music they listen to.  You say you are an analog guy, but you have not commented on your preference or thoughts about why?

thespeakerdude

I do think vinyl done well, excellent pressing (clean), good turntable, good cartridge, all properly setup sounds very good. I don't think you need to spend $50K either. $10K maybe.

If you're talking about new prices, I don't think $10K can get you there. And you'll probably need to spend more than that for a phono stage. But I absolutely agree about the importance of a clean record - that makes all the difference in the world and is the reason I use an easy "one button" ultrasonic LP cleaning system.

I also think if you listen to that side by side with CD, you will always be able to differentiate them, even if its the slightest tick.

Probably true.

I don’t think $10K can get you there

nothing will, for some

Some references I found informative.

Level I

Popular level. Summarizes pros and cons, remaining in old paradigm, e.g. in regard to dynamic range estimation.

Level II

Somewhat technical level. Parts 1-5 provide good overview of LP technology. Parts 6-9 describe distortions inherent in it.  

Level III

Very technical level. This explains why, despite obviously inherently high level of distortions, LPs sound just fine to many people. Executive summary: this is because LP distortions are mostly of "right" kind, which human hearing system do not register with the same intensity as "wrong" distortions.

http://www.gedlee.com/Papers/Distortion_AES_I.pdf

http://www.gedlee.com/Papers/Distortion_AES_II.pdf

This is the first exhibition of references combining components and human hearing.  I hope that’s what this is…

@Fair good job converting your experience (thinking, research etc) and perspectives (paradigmatic, structured, exploratory etc) here. Progress…