CDs Vs LPs

It’s more than just harshness in CD playback, it’s an unnatural aspect to the sound in general, including bass frequencies, that’s always evident in any CD system that hasn’t been carefully tweaked. Of course, room acoustics is a big subject and also contributes greatly to the sound so it’s difficult to separate variables. Nevertheless, the CD and treating the CD player can go a long way to getting the typical bland and irritating CD sound much more analog-like. A few examples: seismic isolation of the CD player, careful leveling of the transport/CD, dealing with background scattered laser light. Another big issue with CD playback is the worsening situation regarding overly aggressive dynamic range compression in CD mastering.

You need to add "to me" or "to vinyl afficianados" to make this statement correct. To anyone with a decent system, digital no longer has to sound bright.

The best digital system I've heard to date is the StahlTech, which sounded smoother and more detailed than MSB, dCS, Modwright modified Oppo; the latter three being some of the best I've heard.
The designer of that system was in my room at RMAF; we were playing his system with a server as a source. The cut was from Massive Attack on Mezzanine, something we both liked. I mentioned that I had that on LP and he was interested in hearing it. After only 5 seconds he turned to me and said 'Digital has such a long way to go'. It is my opinion that his pragmatism in this regard is why his DAC is one of the very best. It had better be- it retailed for $37,000.00.

So I'm going to flip this one around- the better your system, the easier it is to hear digital problems compared to LP; Mike heard it in only 5 seconds.

Cheaper systems tend to have so much higher ordered harmonic distortion that its difficult to tell if a CD is brighter than LP or not- and likely the owner has done something to tone down that brightness caused by distortion brought on be inferior gear.

OK Ralph, you're right.  There's no such thing as a not very well built or poorly set up turntable or cartridge, no damaged vinyl, no dirty records, no off center spindle holes, no poorly recorded LPs.

Everything in vinyl land is  just as good as it can be.  Every playback of every LP is indistinguishable  from live musicians playing in the room.  I don't know what got into me that I forgot all that for a minute.  Thanks for correcting my thinking.

CD's who buys CD's anymore?

Anyone interested in the more out-of-the-way classical repertoire.

An anecdote.  My last trip to audition speakers.  Most stores have now gone over to streaming.  The first two tracks I habitually use are from a recording called "Crye" done by the Concordia consort of viols on Metronome of English music for viols.  It's an excellent recording, beautifully played, and very revealing of many aspects of speakers.  Was it anywhere on the database?  No!

Fortunately, the salesperson was accommodating enough to lug a transport in from another room.