What sounds best: Vinyl or CDs

I have found that Benchmark DAC 3 sounds like the best I ever heard from vinyl without all the limitations of Vinyl (pops, clicks, hiss) - out of the box and with no Singer SU-1 or any other treatments. I was surprised about the not so subtle improvement from the previous gen DAC2 - mostly down to the new Sabre chip I suspect. I am interested if other users of the most recent round of DACs with newer chips are finally satisfied that digital is now the equal of the very best vinyl. Of course not every recording is the best in digital - nor is everything available in digital - so vinyl still should be part of any serious collectors armoury and I did not say digital exceeds the very best vinyl sound - just I feel it is on par.

Oh and Mahler is amazing stuff....my favorite is the interpretation by Benjamin Zander - perhaps not he best recordings but I know Benjamin and he puts everything into his work and has amazing motivational skills in bringing out the best in the entire orchestra.

Ben's book (which he gave me) "The Art of Possibility" is accessible and a great read...

Mike,

I agree - "very best vinyl" is when it all comes together - pristine wax and a great setup - and I can only comment based on what I have heard which won't be anything close to SOTA vinyl.

Red Hot Chili Peppers usually sounds better on Vinyl because of that harsh edgy sound from digital limiting (compression) done in the Mastering by hot mastering engineers - another example of "equipment not at fault" but misuse of the medium results in a poor quality recording nonetheless.

DAC 3 is a modest investment compared to the effort you have gone to - and not having heard your setup I can only guess it is at another level altogether - both vinyl and digital.

For mere mortals I think it is encouraging that recent DACs are both affordable (Gustard X20 Pro) and really close to the best vinyl....

chipito- your table setup is fine to experience playing a record, but far from a level to ask "what’s better?"

One does need to commit a minimum $ level to reach that point. Where it is, probably can be debated with no conclusion.

This thread starts at a good level$
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/your-choice-tt-arm-stage-cartridge-5000-budget.

This however, won’t live up to its potential without an equal level support staff-amp/speakers....

Dear @mikelavigne : Certainly you are a reference for me and more than two years ago I remember that you posted something very similar on the digital great source quality:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/interesting-project-started-by-michael-fremer/post?postid=126...

The digital technology is in advance almost every single day ( as computers or cell phones. ). It's an explosive alternative as was in its times the analog experience.

In true is imposible for analog competes bis a bis with digital. Analog is full of non-salvable limitations that comes inherent part of the analog experience rigth from the recording process and obviously through all the playback process in each one audio system.

No one of us can't do nothing to modify what's in the recording but only through the whole playback proccess where at least we need to try that every kind of generated/developed distortions been " set-up " at minimum and this is the best we can do. We just can't improve what's in the recording only try that the audio signal be degraded at minimum through the overall playback proccess with both technologies. 

Trade-offs exist always through digital and analog and like you said our each one preferences play an important role in what we like to hear.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.