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

Really good thread. While digital can be done well for far less than a good table, cartridge and electronics it still to me sounds a bit artificial with a lack of depth. Perhaps it's because I started my audio trip prior to the invention of the CD but I just prefer listening to vinyl. I do have a nice system. VPI Scout with Dynavector 10X5 and Vincent PHO 700 phono stage and this helps. A lower end table with a mediocre cartridge is going to be a disappointment. Not close to top of the line but very good. 

One place where I feel digital is superior is on poorly produced recordings. A good system and good tt will only reproduce what is on the vinyl, that is the original source. CD's for some reason, I guess because they are digital, make these sound better. However, the newer higher end Original Masters vinyl albums sound amazing. 

If you believe vinyl sounds better and live in Atlanta I'd love to be persuaded. (Actually, probably would hate to be persuaded, considering what it would cost to replace my 1,676 CDs with vinyl, and purchasing a decent table as well. Egads.) Let's get together for listening comparisons: digital at my place; vinyl at yours; or however if you have a better idea.

Don't do it Danny!

I'm not in Atlanta but next time you're in NYC (everyone comes here at some point right?) swing by.

Ironically, the arguments in favor of why vinyl sounds better has less to do with vinyl per se and more to do with learning how to identify and recognize what's "wrong" with digital.  

Once your ears can hear what's "wrong" with digital it will be the only thing that you hear and you will have 1,676 things that suddenly piss you off... Yes I'm serious.

I spent ~35 years in software engineering and can hear the "code" in digital music reproduction and was always of the opinion that code was obsolete as soon as it shipped and should always be improved on.

Once your brain is wired that way, there's no going back.

Sure I love listening to my digital library (CD's, ALAC, WAV or whatever) but you can't get past the fact that there's software between the source and your ears - unavoidable.  Unfortunately, there are great software developers and crappy ones just as there are great studio mastering engineers and complete hacks.

Back in the 60's. When I bought my first LP.
I like the convenience of CDs and I listen to them pretty often. Some are even recorded well.
But, when I drop the stylus down, into the groove...magic!
 My neighbors, my friends, find it remarkable when we compare digital to analog. Soundstage, tonal balance, bloom is much more precise (on my system).
 Unfortunately, I find that most reissue LPs are poorly remixed. The recording engineers seem to think that they are improving the original LP by changing the sound- more bass, more vocals, more horns, etc. And they usually screw it up. Luckily, I still have my LP collection and managed to have kept them in good condition.
 

I agree that you can get respectable sound on the cheap with digital. About a year ago I put digital back into my system to listen to the hundreds of cd's I bought during the cd craze (& yes I started on the cd addiction before the high end addiction). I bought an older pioneer elite player & a Parasound dac. It sounds a whole lot better than I remember digital sounding like. In fact when my mood allows & with the right cd, it sounds awesome. That said, it still doesn't hold a candle to the analog portion of the system. But since I've got 5x that into the analog portion, not to mention a whole lot more work (I made the table myself), it shouldn't.