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

Correction: tonearm is not DIY, it is Trans-Fi air bearing. Also, I say analogue, no contest.

@gregkohanmim,

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.

This is a completely new one. Never heard that before. Can you please explain how one can hear "code" in digital music reproduction?

It proved to me that the differences between analog and digital aren't solely at the front end. Synergy of the system is what makes one better
than the other.

Precisely!

Correction: Stan, not Steve, I am getting old!! @whart I did not check All the responders, only hardliners and those who find digital more pleasing to their ears. If Rega P1 beats Linn Akurate is one thing, if Esoteric beats VPI is totally different story. Overcompressed crap sold as "progressive" nowadays (sorry, Steven Wilson is just a lucky exception) sounds crappy no matter what. Van Der Graaf Generator "Live" from the olden times sounds as horrible thru LP as CD. Symphonic Dances on RR sounds totally Awesome on HDCD, but makes me jump when I am not too lazy to warm up my Armageddon.. All things being equal, vinyl always wins to my ears, but the convenience of Hi-Rez or CDs rule! 

Hello, I own 3 turntables that are setup in my system now along with 3 fantastic phonostages. I have one excellent digital source. Even though digital is extremely good, vinyl does edge it out when it comes to which sounds more LIFELIKE and REAL. I could be very happy with only listening to digital for the rest of my life  but when vinyl is setup correctly, it is superior. But vinyl is also more of a pain in the ass setting it up and changing records.