Would you still pay $10k or more for a turntable not full analog front end these days ?

It appears that more and more audiophiles switch almost fully to digital, and I don't think that's progress, regardless of how good digital may sound. There are older analog recordings and new ones can be made too, so turntable should never become obsolete, along with tape deck. Personally, I'll spend real money, real for me, only on analog. Besides, I believe that digital can in fact be more expensive to make it sound good and you have to constantly upgrade it.

So, yes, I would spend $10k on a turntable if I had them and felt the need. Probably more than $10k.

@wlutke

No mystery here. My systems are shown under my UserID. My analog end is a contemporary near Klimax Linn LP12, with a Ekos SE tone arm, Koetsu Rosewood Signature cartridge set up by an advanced certified Linn technician in my home. It sits on top of a Silent Running Audio Ohio +++ Class isolation platform designed specifically for my turntable. I use an Audio Research Reference 3SE phonostage… instead of a Klimax phonostage because it sounds better.

@soix - thank you, I know how computers and technology works fully and completely. They are all identical Linux boxes, just fancy cases and screens.

If you think there are some sort of "bit errors" or "jitter" on the Net, think why is that Word document opens perfectly after travelling half of a globe over 100s or switches, fiber, electric, radio, satellite transmission and so on, converted to analog and back 100s of times.

Please spare me lectures on network stacks, OK? The transmission is designed to be reliable even in nuclear war.

@inna - you had to upgrade digital b/c network and computer speed was insufficient for high resolutions. Now you can have 24/192 pretty much everywhere along with DSD. This does not have to be upgraded.

Actually, good analog is quite a bit harder to engineer and make. LPs often have better mastering and yes, they sound better than CDs mastered to sound good in a car. 15" IPS reel is a nice media for recording. Cassette? Not really. Maybe Nak Dragon still performs.

I will take 24/192 ADC recording over any cassette.