Will a $700 turntable outperform a CD player?

I'm not going to make the argument that CDs can compare in sound quality to vinyl. But let's not forget the importance of the engineer's dedication to sound quality. Some labels sound great. While others suck. Every jazz CD I have on Bluenote is of very high SQ. Most of Leonard Cohen's recordings on Columbia are superb. While some other artists I have on Columbia are of mediocre quality. There should be industry standards but it seems many labels don't care about the group of people who actually care about sound quality. 

@mahgister...By acoustical embeddings do you mean room treatment? If so, I'd be interested to know what you do. I feel like I should explore this before spending money to change components.

@cal91

As a retiree that’s a little insulting. But in my case it’s also true. I am a candidate for knee replacement and I have no desire to sit through several songs I don’t want to hear to get to the song I do want to hear. With CDs I can touch a button on a remote. Problem solved. If there was an option for me that meant I didn’t have to get up constantly I would buy a turntable. But that brings me to another problem brought up bt paulburnett.

Digital is more convenient for sure, this is why streaming is the most popular format for younger generation when internet is all around and music is free.

What is good about CD is booklets inside (good read sometimes).
In my retirement there will be no CDs.

CD associated with 90’s in my memory, don’t know anyone in my circle of friends (40+) who collect CDs nowadays, if it’s digital then it’s on hard drive or streaming. But many collect vinyl.

I think cassette tape (and tape swap) was a great era. It was easier to copy CD on cassette tape than to buy an original CDs (here in Russia). Then pirate CDs flooded the market, but i was deeply into vinyl at that time.

@chakster 

People have tried to convince me to try streaming. Again, the convenience issue comes up. I don't know how it works. Do you access a complete album and have the ability to skip songs you might not care for, or do you seek particular songs? I have hundreds of CDs that I can see, hold, and make a choice. I can skip songs without having to get up. I know this betrays my ignorance of streaming, but unless someone can explain to me how streaming is as convenient as CDs I see no reason to make a change. If someone can explain why, at 66 years of age with a bad knee I should make the change to streaming, please do it. I'll be looking for advice on streamers. I'm not married to my CDs.

FWIW,

I have been running a Perfect Wave Transport and Theta Pro Basic III DAC. Took me quite a while to get the sound I liked.

I had not been playing vinyl for probably two or three years.

Anyway, I got my Technics LS1200Mk5  turntable and Audio Technica150 MLX cartridge set up and was surprised to the point of shock.

The DAC combo blew away the vinyl. The Technics seemed lifeless and with less detail. An Ortofon Pro S40 cartridge was even worse. It did not matter whether I played an old album or a new 180 gram record.

I was always been in the Technics camp but this was an eye opener for me.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper