I've never quite understood the "limited dynamic range" argument. That's like saying Car A is better than Car B because it has a higher top speed, when we all have the same speed limit. Vinyl has plenty of DR for the human ear and with proper gear and isolation, one can take advantage of all it has to offer.
I'm in a bit of a Redbook discovery phase and I have to say, I love it. I finally got a DAC that reminds me of my vinyl rig in terms of tonal density and "ease" or as I like to think of it in my own head, the muscularity of the music itself. I've been through a few digital rigs and the ones before, which weren't cheap, were thoroughly trounced by a relatively pedestrian vinyl rig which set me off on a 3 year vinyl pilgrimage. And I still have all that and love comparing similarly-mastered RB to vinyl I own. In some cases, RB wins, vinyl wins others.
So, at the end of the day, as usual, the answer is - it depends. Because it's a sensory experience, using a mic or oscilliscope to guide our decisions is foolish. Those are data points, sure, but they're no better at ultimately deciding one vs the other as the nutrition label will tell you how a meal will taste, or how a car's spec sheet will tell you how it feels to drive it.
No other hobby is so bent on proving our opinions correct using "scientific means" when the hobby is completely subjective and personal. I follow a lot of cooking forums and FB groups and I've never once seen a fellow cook ask another to prove how tender a piece of meat was, or measure the crunch of his or her vegetables. Or ask for a double-blind test proving that Prime is better than Choice. But alas, thankfully the music fuels my passion for this hobby, and not the need to prove something to an anonymous person whose opinion really doesn't mean much at all nor who will ever hear what I am.
I'm in a bit of a Redbook discovery phase and I have to say, I love it. I finally got a DAC that reminds me of my vinyl rig in terms of tonal density and "ease" or as I like to think of it in my own head, the muscularity of the music itself. I've been through a few digital rigs and the ones before, which weren't cheap, were thoroughly trounced by a relatively pedestrian vinyl rig which set me off on a 3 year vinyl pilgrimage. And I still have all that and love comparing similarly-mastered RB to vinyl I own. In some cases, RB wins, vinyl wins others.
So, at the end of the day, as usual, the answer is - it depends. Because it's a sensory experience, using a mic or oscilliscope to guide our decisions is foolish. Those are data points, sure, but they're no better at ultimately deciding one vs the other as the nutrition label will tell you how a meal will taste, or how a car's spec sheet will tell you how it feels to drive it.
No other hobby is so bent on proving our opinions correct using "scientific means" when the hobby is completely subjective and personal. I follow a lot of cooking forums and FB groups and I've never once seen a fellow cook ask another to prove how tender a piece of meat was, or measure the crunch of his or her vegetables. Or ask for a double-blind test proving that Prime is better than Choice. But alas, thankfully the music fuels my passion for this hobby, and not the need to prove something to an anonymous person whose opinion really doesn't mean much at all nor who will ever hear what I am.