How much do you need to spend to get digital to rival analog?

It all comes back to the recording, and the disc. Ya know, there ARE plenty of bad sounding LP’s. Besides, if an album is available on CD only, what are ya gonna do, deprive yourself of the music just because you think analog sounds better than digital? Are we sound lovers first, or music lovers?

How much do you need to spend to get digital to rival analog?

Define "rival".

It all depends on what sounds better means. There are obvious differences when you compare analog to digital versions of the same recording which I love to do with people. Frankly, it goes both ways. Sometimes the analog version sounds better and sometimes the digital version sounds better. I have to believe it comes down to how the recording was mastered or remastered. I have never had an instance where a CD sounds better. But with high res (96/24 or higher) digital downloads it is a toss up. Dylan's Desire sounds better in analog using the MoFi 45 RPM disc. Early Bowie stuff sounds much better in digital even though they were analog recordings. Much of the very current recordings sound better in digital form such as any of the recent Wilco discs. This is all by direct AB comparison with both versions running at the same time with the volume equalized by meter. I use an Apple Mini loaded with the Pure Music program. I love vinyl but it is just not true that it sounds better all the time. It does sound better much of the time and I have many great old records that I have no desire to get a digital copy because the analog sounds great. But, I do have some knock out digital recordings like the high res version of Tool's new disc. WOW.

Raul.....+1