Dear friends: I think that all what we posted in this thread in some or other way is " true ", even the post that said: " how your body reacts " that's " true " too.
Now, what we like it or not is always room/system dependent and each one MUSIC/sound priorities and for we can have a nearer idea which medium as a medium is better maybe we have to analize the " motor " or better yet the " factory " where those motors been builded that in our case is the each one recording proccess and the playback one too:
first and main difference between the analog and digital medium resides at the low bass range that's the foundation of MUSIC and where MUSIC " belongs ": while in digital the bass comes in true stereo fashion ( that's the way microphones pick up the signal. ) and recorded in stereo in the analog medium during cutting/mastering process that low bass range comes in monophonic way due to LP limitations.
This first difference is critical due that as in other frequency ranges all bass notes produce overtones/harmonics and these harmonics has clear influence in what we are listening and influence not only in all the bass range but at the mid range too an even at the high frequencies.
From that point of view digital is faithful to the recording while analog can't be. That's why everything the same digital always has the best bass range in any recording.
Digital recording proccess needs only the converters to record those 0 and 1s while the LP needs several steps that makes some signal degradation before the information stays in the LP surface.
With out " seeing " both whole proccess I want to analize 2-3 steps on the analog side:
RIAA eq.: this analog recording step is " fulminant " for the audio signal, terrible for say the least, because we have to think that from 20 hz to 20 khz the audio signal is equalized in between ( around ) -18 db to +18 db. In reality the RIAA is an equalization curve, a severe one that affects everysingle MUSIC note/harmonics.
Other step is that the equalized audio signal must be recorded/cutted on the vynil material where is alost imposible to be faithful to that " original " equalized audio signal.
All these severe audio signal degradation does not exist in the digital recording process that's more " direct " than analog.
Exist other degradation issues in the analog process but with those are enough by now.
Playback at each one of us room/system:
digital is extremely easy and more " direct " too, with a lot lesser signal degradation than in analog and when we are taling of " signal degradation " we are talking that we are adding distortions at each of those additional steps.
Digital needs a DAC and is " done ". There is no need of a phono cartridge with all its disadvantages and other additional steps to listen it.
During playback process and before the cartridge we have to " figth " with every kind of unstabilities in the TT even on speed accuracy, motor noises, damping problems and the like.
Along those comes the LP imperfections as: off center records and the fact that all LP comes with macro and micro waves due that are not totally flat. All those develops additional distortions to the analog playback experiences.
But not all stops there, the worst is forth coming when the stylus tip touch the first recorded groove:
first than all is that for the playback process stays faithful to the recording that stylus tip must be ridding/tracking exactly with the same angle that the grooves where cutted ( this never happens not even in LT tonearms. ) and must rides/follow those grooves adding nothing but the movements that produces those grooves. This is that must mimic the grooves with out any kind of generated vibrations/movements kind of feedback: impossible to achieve it, all the analog playback prcess is added by different kind of distortions and we can´t do nothing at all.
In that stylus tip job exist differences on the problem/distortions levels depending on the stylus tip shape, stylus clean shape, stylus tip damaged level, LP surface clean condition or dust, and very critical the self cartridge tracking abilities. A nigthmare for say the least.
But things go on: that cartridge is mounted in an imperfect item name it: tonearm that generates by it self several kind of different distortion levels some by its feedback and some other because not well damped design and all these affects the audio signal. Additional the audio signal must pass through the tonearm internal wires and cartridge tonearm input/output mafe/female connectors before gone to the phono stage. More distortions generated there.
The worst for the end: signal goes through the phono stage:
at this step begins the real earthwake a full 9.5 Ritcher one when that already and heavy degraded audio signal must pass for the inverse RIAA eq. that never mimic the recorded RIAA eq. due that always exist deviations ( is the phono stage spec in your unit: 20 hz to 20 khz +,- 0.1 db., in the best cases. ).
This second equalization stage destroy per se what left of that audio signal but things goes on because the signal must be amplified almost 10K times ! ! ! before the linepreamp can handle the signal.
So, now just imagine if what we are listening through the LP is better than on digital medium where the signal did not pass through all those " torture " analog steps..
We like analog because for to many years we are accustomed to those very high distortion levels: we are accustom to, our ears/brain takes it as the rigth sound to listen MUSIC when digital is something totally " new " for the brain.
@mikelavigne posts says all because he has an analog reference rig and a digital reference too and even that his brain is accustom to analog he today discerns very well on how good is the digital experience.
As I posted before: superior to the analog when the target is to stay faithful to the recording and this ismy main target. Analog can't even the digital superior medium, it can't because all those technology limitations: to many degradation steps where audio signal must pass that in digital just does not.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
