Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD

digital is getting pretty good these days.

I think digital got beyond pretty good to excellent long ago.I had a Meridian 508.20 cd player in the 90's and onward, and it sounded beautiful and quite "analog."  Today I use a Benchmark DAC and it sounds fantastic too (even though I have a high end turntable system, digital sounds wonderful too).

 @paulcreed  Why do you think most people hate Linn’s? Although this may be a slightly tougher statement than I would use, I do think that most people are happy to bash Linn. 
Those that bash Linn, IME have not heard what a well set up LP12 can do. As you noticed, your LP12 was more to your liking than the new VPI, no surprise for me there. Today, with the various mods that  are available for Linn owners, imo it can still be updated into one of the best tables available...at any price.

Dave, maybe that was a little strong to say about Linn. Anytime someone finds out what table I have they tell me it's old technology, buy a better table, modern tables have come so far. I've just learned to accept most people love to bash my Linn. Mine is upgraded though with cirkus bearing, outboard power supply, greenstreet keel sub chassis, Ittok 3 and Naim Areo and audio quest PT 9 tonearms. I would be happy with just cirkus, pink link and ittok 3 or pt9 which is what I compared vpi classic 2 with plastic 3D arm. I still love my CD player I think it sounds very analog  and enjoy it very much maybe the tubes in it do help a little. Just stick it in the drawer and push play.

Dear @chadsort: Sorry my fault ( thank's @uberwaltz . ).

I'm a music lover and like today digital and analog alternatives. Your digital hardware is a good one but nothing exceptional for today digital latest technology and even that " crushed " analog and you are rigth.

Latest today digital technology outperforms the best today analog one, no matter what and no matters hwta analog lovers ( like me ). could think: no one analog lover has true facts that can prove the analog superior quality performance other that: " I like it " and this is not an objective fact.

I own thousands of LP's and if I was you the best way to go is to put on sale the analog rig and LP's and invest the more you can in digital.

Analog needs not only money, a lot of learning patience, from whom you learn and years ( noth months ) to fine tunning the analog rig.
Even several of the gentlemans that already posted in your thread in favor of analog that already gave you their advises are still learning in the same way I do every single day.

If you can justified all the very hard efforts you must do to stay nearer to digital alternative that's up to you but with 50 LP's  ? ? ? ? , maybe with 500 LP's you can meke the analog home work but at the end: best today analog can't outperforms today best digital alternative to listen MUSIC.

No, that no one try to convince you that in a few more weeks/months you really learned about analog because the one that could tells that is a lier.

The analog forums ar full of audiophiles that own not hundreds of LP's but thousands of LP's and that are " accustom " for many many years to the analog distortions ( including me. ), exist a clear justification for the analog rig and the other is that even today exist some recordings that we can't get in digital format.
When we analog lovers are talking about always " win " our subjective opinion over facts. It's " crazy " but it's the way things are. MUSIC is not a subjective issue but objective one that intrinsically comes with some subjective characteristics, that's all.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

But how did you compare? Is it the same mastered track, volume matched? Otherwise there is no valid comparison that I can think of. All the talk of air is always cool and all, but its just gibberish.