When and how did you, if at all, realize vinyl is better?

I got in to this about 25 years ago, and started with a Denon dcd-3520 CD player. I liked the sound of the CAL Audio labs player better, but I had no idea what the hell I was doing, so I bought the less musical sounding Denon. Then on to separates from Krell and Spectral. Not having found what I was hoping to, I bought a Basis 2000/Graham 2.0 and a VDH MC-10S cart, and soon after a Koetsu RED. Fast forward 20 years, and I don't even use digital. In between I have had a C-J CD player, an Audio Aero Capitole, and an EAR Acute. Never has any digital source brought forth the emotional involvement and pure enjoyment of analog. I recently set up a 2nd system in the bedroom with Harbeth P3's and a Croft integrated. I am playing a Sony PS-1 in to it for sound, and considering a $500-$800 DAC, but ultimately I think a turntable will grace that system instead.

I visited Salon One Audio in Wisconsin Rapids in the early nineties.  The owner had a rep from Wadia compare his latest digital d/a and transport to a Versa Dynamics turntable. To me and many others the analog setup well out performed the digital.  I have found the digital of today to be formidable, but still not as consistently "musical" as analogue.

When I got into audio, digital playback was just a gleam in an engineer's eye. All we had was vinyl, reel-to-reel and FM. (And live music.) Really.

I've stayed with the LP ever since - while also adding digital into the system. I simply don't see it as a "what's best?" question. I enjoy all of it.

Only after spending some bucks on Wadia 781i and Naim CDS3 and tons of efforts/$$ hunting down boxes of  Japanese mini-LP CDs.  Lesson learned the hard way, but I soo hated warped LPs that just refused to hear the obvious!...

I would not say vinyl is better but it can be especially with the digital loudness wars of the last 20 years having ruined a lot of good music. Japanese vinyl is usually excellent and that is all I have ever boiught - the rest can be disappointing and even terrible - it is easy to hear the difference good vinyl over bad vinyl. The 33 LP is also a big compromise. LP stands for long play and squashing all that music on to one LP is a huge compromise. It is easy to hear the difference between a good 12" 45 rpm single and a regular track on a 33 LP album.

Some obscure stuff on vinyl is wonderful for the musicianship - much not available on digital. I have an album by RASTUS which is a Tower of Power like band that never made it big. The young drummer "Smokey" is incredible and easily could have become a Dennis Chambers had he not drifted into obscurity and died young too. If you can get your hands on RASTUS - they could actually keep up with TOP. Rarities like RASTUS make vinyl fun and interesting but to say it is better than digital is to ignore all the great digital recordings and all the very bad vinyl out there - so not a fair statement.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9hFlyLNI1Hk