Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD

I like to inject some hard data into these debates. Check out this link to data about sales of various formats:

https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/

If you look at the two charts on this page, it’s clear that over the last 45 years digital has outsold vinyl by far, measured in units or $ amount sold, and streaming is the growing format, not vinyl. And digital didn’t even exist for 10 of those 45 years. It looks like cassettes have outsold vinyl.

I’m not putting vinyl down. If someone likes vinyl better than digital, that’s fine. Enjoy the searching, buying, cleaning, tweaking, flipping, large covers, smell and sound to your heart’s content and feel free to tell us how much you enjoy it. Same with digital. If you like to have access to millions of albums on your tablet or enjoy the sound of a well recorded and mastered CD, SACD or download, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. It’s all good.

Elizabeth, I have 7,000 78s and about 1,500 CDs from 78 sources.  They sound great performance wise and often with great mid-range and dynamics (especially the electricals).  For 78s, I use my old VPI 19-4 with an ultracraft 400C arm and a grado 78 cartridge, Marantz 7T pre-amp and VPI SDS speed controller.  Truly enjoyable experience but with added effort.  As to well transferred, remastered 78s on CD (also LPs), by guys like Marston, Hardwicke, Obert-Thorn, Andreas Meyer, etc., well there's often gold in the sound as well as performances worthy of them.  I've had a friend/Cal Tech engineer (departed) who were able to play early acoustic 78s with the correct stylus and e.q. on a huge horn system sound like 50's mono LPs.  Truly amazing and exciting.  

My own system has well mastered/pressing 50/60s LPs sound just more lively than well remastered CDs.  But, the CDs can stand on their own for enjoyment  (VPI TNT VI/SME IV/Benz Ruby 3... versus EAR Acute CD player).  I have 25,000+ LPs in my collection.  Each evening, I start with a CD and end 2 hours later listening to CDs, or start with an LP and end up listening to LPs at the end.  78s are a pain to play.  I'm thinking of buying a Simply Vinyl Sugarcube wo copy them to digital without the surface noise (especially with cheap shellac 78s).

iamhe I’ve read that the analog LP only captures 12 or 14 bits of information but in pure wave form. Digital captures sound at different bits and depth. Somehow, they both sound natural and high resolution on my system and some of my friends systems. They each have their own plusses and minuses .

Many of us can relate to Frank Sinatra Capitol recordings.  The LPs varied tremendously from one mastering to another, one pressing to another.  I have five copies of Only the Lonely, only 1 sounds mellow with Frank's voice warm and centered.  The others vary from bright to dull.  On CD, the early Capitol 16 bit basically copied the best of the original LP mastering, a little less resolving.  The 24 bit Norberg set has Frank swimming in reverb and dulled the transients using excessive noise suppression.  The  20 bit British set has Frank way out in front of the orchestra, warm and loud.  What a mess the latter two recent remasterings are.  

As to CDs being worthless, my Marston and Romophone CDs of extremely rare "78s" are not available or downloadable and strictly copyright enforced.  The original discs are rare, difficult to manipulate for playback as to e.q., speed as well as stylus type.  Historic recordings have hugely benefited from gifted mastering engineers and modern digitial equipment.  I consider an $18 CD with 24 tracks of $100 to $1000s discs properly remastered a real bargain not to be duplicated in the future.

P.S. I am sorry to inform everyone, but even CD pressings from the same plant can sound very different just like LPs.  I don't know why a glass mastered CD should sound different when stamped but they often do.  Let alone completely different materials (Japanese versus U.S. like vinyl formulation differences).

Fleschler, I agree with you that there is no standard or certification meeting a certain level of sound quality.  Other than labels such as Blue Note Records, record quality can be all over the place.  If HD Vinyl ever becomes a reality it may establish a standard much like digital audio.  

I have the Frank and Jobim album with the Girl from Ipanema which I think sounds awesome.  Tonight I will give it a listen for imagining and soundstage. 

Flescher
I’ve read that the analog LP only captures 12 or 14 bits of information but in pure wave form. Digital captures sound at different bits and depth. Somehow, they both sound natural and high resolution on my system and some of my friends systems. They each have their own plusses and minuses.

>>>>>Huh! How can analog capture only 12 or 14 bits of information? It’s not digital. Furthermore, most digital media has an analog source (tape).