Analog or Digital and why?


Computers don't make very good guitars. Back in the 90's the debate raged with digital people saying one day digital will get so good, records will become obsolete. Well it's 25 years later and, well the digital thing never happened and analog never sounded better. However you got to remorgage your house. And buy records. 
128x128chrismini
I don’t want to disparage digital lovers.
For sure, there are big advantages over analog.
Those are clear and obvious.
And there are many drawbacks to analog.
However, speaking generally, even a $500 TT produces a physical, gut level reaction to the music. And any digital, no matter how good, produces an intellectual, analytical response.
I get carried away when I listen to my TT. I think when I listen to my digital rig. Two very different responses. Which is more true to the original intent of the music?For me, hands down it is analog!

Since Mike Lavigne has dedicated so much in developing tape, vinyl and digital in his system, his preference for analog over digital carries authority.
One question for Mike, though--in putting in your MSB Select, clock and streamer, did you previously have a CD transport and components to support that approach?
The CD vs streaming has oft been discussed, but have we missed the importance of the CD as reference? The cost does go up, though, to put the CD back into digital, funny as it sounds. I can imagine a lot of young folks have gone straight from MP-3 and ITunes to the sound of vinyl without ever having owned a CD.  DVDs are rather passé, too.  
Right. How could anyone really have anything to say until they've spent a million or so? Just one question. If I spend a hundred million and say digital is better does that carry more authority? Or less? What exactly is the proportionality of money spent to authority achieved?  
What carries zero authority is somebody who thinks they know much with so little ownership exposure ... hi speed tape, the black disc and ones and zeroes, we do it all :-) imagine being trapped in a world that ended in 1980 whatever....
sad

for those with an open mind and even a decent DAC checkout the Grammy award winning digital recordings of 2L of course open ears are helpful
Just that Mike has invested to reach the full potential of both mediums, and for him, analog is the ultimate sound reproduction. Not sure why you would argue that result, but your question raises an interesting exercise.

Suppose you, meaning everyone, have everything in your system the way you want it--amps, preamp, stands, power, cables, speakers, subs, the room. But, you need a source, a front end---don’t have one at all, have to start fresh, don’t even have albums or CDs. Let’s say you have an amount worthy of your system to spend--say $35K to allow for various levels of gear, but you have to buy everything that is needed to play music, minus the albums, CDs, streamers, etc. You have a separate allowance for music, let’s say. Would you go with vinyl or digital?