Vinyl or wait for the new stuff??

I love my digital gear, but my Vinyle will always be there.

I happen to own both a very highly resolving digital, as well as very renowned analog front end. I listen through electrostats, coupled with subs. It so happened that the electronics in my Goldmund arm went bonkers and I had to wait to have it repaired for exactly a year. It was not the fault of Goldmund, but one of their distributors here in Switzerland went bonkers as well, ( no joke )so the arm had "disappeared". So I listened only to digital through the excellent Purcell upsampler and quite enjoyed it, I was even thrilled sometimes. But I was compeletely flabberghasted, when I could play LP's again: The music bloomed, the soundstage opened up, the air between instruments became alive and vibrating, not this deadly void, this black nothing, which CD presents and which is so unnatural. I could listend to big orchestral works again, which I found on CD mostly uninvolving and flat in their presentation, so for me its vinyl for sure. However I have not had the chance to listen to any of the new formats. Anyway, after a one year hiatus, I had forgotten how much better that old technology is MUSICALLY in comparison even to the best presentations which CD can offer.

I have SACD, 24/96 and upsampled CD setups. I have chosen the equipment (Forsell, Audio Logic, Purcell) based on its musicality and how close I can get it to sound like real music. But when I want to be moved fully by the music, I still will always choose vinyl. SACD comes close, but still appeals more to the logical side of my brain (I have heard it said, and think it's true, that SACD doesn't sound like analog or digital, it sounds like the master tape). I agree with many of the above that you don't have to spend a fortune on a good arm, table and cartridge to enjoy vinyl, and there are plenty of old records and excellent reissues available. I'd say go for it!

Detlof, I'm with you on this one. A live example. I have an ancient Zarathustra 4 w/ Pluto arm (both still working -- no servicing) & Clearaudio Victory exhibition model. PCM digital is Symphonic LIne Reference, exhibition modell again.
Listened to Mahler 1 on CD (Bruno Walter, NYSO) on sony: powerfull stuff. Found an OLD vinyl of same (not 1st edition...). Listened to same with mmusician friends. No comparison... to give one example: musicians picked out 2 short-comings in the string section beginning part2 on vinyl; couldnt do same on cd. Other examples abound esp on voice recordings.
Myoussif -- pcm digital is the problem. Wait till something better is standard (SACD?)

In my opinion, vinyl provides an unexplainable quality in reproducing music vis-à-vis digital. I feel that there is a noticeable “blending” of instrumentation and voices with vinyl – including much smoother transients. If your purpose, however, is instrument discrimination, digital might be your bread and butter… but, if you don’t mind a little extra attention to your “software” and simply enjoy music, then vinyl is the way to go. Additionally, I don’t really believe that one must spend excessively to reap the benefits of either vinyl or digital. I would contend that more emphasis be placed upon amplification means (I prefer vacuum tubes to solid state), speakers, quality of the LP or CD, and the inter-relationship of all your components, including cables.