Does Anyone Think CD is Better Than Vinyl/Analog?

dave_b:" Maybe it depends a bit on how you listen as well. I have always strived for an immersive listening setup....seating position at or slightly closer than distance of speakers apart, which should be significantly larger than usual, i.e..10 to 12 feet (maintain solid center image). Soundstaging, imaging and dynamics are paramount, followed by accurate tone and low level detail. Lights off and volume up to a realistic level is also key! Another trick is using as little toe in as possible while maintaining a solid center image, which increases dynamics and soundstage size/dimensionality. Using components that can bridge the gap between overly detailed and euphonious sound is key...live music is an elusive animal somewhere in between. Get all that right, plus a good room and either format can move you emotionally!"

Hello dave_b,

     Excellent post! I agree with you completely.
     My favorite main characteristic of a high quality home audio system is its ability to create a very realistic three dimensional stereo sound stage illusion that is as wide and deep as possible. This very realistic three dimensional quality also requires that the individual musicians’ images within this overall soundstage are being perceived as appropriately sized, solid, stable and palpable for the perception to be created that the entire musical performance is taking place in your room or that you’ve been transported to a very good seat at the original venue.

dave_b:" Another trick is using as little toe in as possible while maintaining a solid center image, which increases dynamics and soundstage size/dimensionality. Using components that can bridge the gap between overly detailed and euphonious sound is key...live music is an elusive animal somewhere in between. Get all that right, plus a good room and either format can move you emotionally!"

     I agree with these statements, too. As I believe almost every experienced audio enthusiast can likely attest, while attaining the physical parameters and aspects of a virtual reality stereo sound stage image in one’s room is very challenging. it’s still only half the battle, since as you wisely stated: "Using components that can bridge the gap between overly detailed and euphonious sound is key...live music is an elusive animal somewhere in between. Get all that right, plus a good room and either format can move you emotionally!"
     That sounds about right to me, I definitely agree that good quality vinyl systems can also create high quality stereo sound stage illusions. It’s just been my experience that utilizing high quality direct to hi-res digital recordings and playback equipment are significantly better at facilitating, and even enhancing, these high quality stereo sound stage illusions than vinyl playback is capable of.
     I believe hi-res digital’s higher signal to noise ratio and higher detail levels, combined with its inherent lower distortion and lower surface noise levels, are key factors in its ability to create significantly more realistic and palpable virtual reality stereo sound stages.
     Lastly on a related topic, I’ve also discovered that the accurate reproduction of the power, impact and dynamics of the bottom 2 octaves, bass technically from 16-32 Hz, in a home audio system and room is perhaps the single most important characteristic in distinguishing between a home audio system being perceived as decent with an acceptable facsimile of good bass and one perceived as exceptionally good with bass that sounds and feels like it does when played and heard live in person. High quality deep bass is typically the most difficult frequency range to get sounding and feeling right and natural in a room.
     It also seems to me that good bass performance, in general,  is one of the most neglected portions of the audible frequency spectrum in home audio systems. I’m not certain exactly why high quality bass performance is not more of a priority for more individuals; whether it’s due to a lack of space for the required multiple subs in their rooms, a lack of willingness to spend the extra funds or perhaps just a lack of knowledge of its importance and how to attain it.

Tim

mijostyn:  "Like I said Tim, that is the responsibility of whomever controls the rights to the recording. HD Tracks has to have permission and pay for what they do. The last thing HD Tracks wants is to get embroiled over pirating substandard copies of recordings for profit. They have a good thing going, why ruin it. Within the normal realm of recording quality I have been very pleased with their product so far. Of over a thousand files there have been two clinkers that I can think of and I do not think it was their fault. If there is an issue with the download they have always made it right. One more thing, any transfer at 24/192 ( the studio standard) is totally invisible. It is not like analog where everything you do adds damage."

Hello mijostyn,

     Yes, I agree with your comments that "HD Tracks has to have permission and pay for what they do. The last thing HD Tracks wants is to get embroiled over pirating substandard copies of recordings for profit. They have a good thing going, why ruin it."
     My main points are:
1.  Yes, HD Tracks has to have permission and pay the recording company for access to the artist's existing master recording.  And that it's in the best interests of the recording company, as well as all other parties involved, for the record company to deliver the highest quality master recording of the artist's music that they possess.
2. The main issue, as I understand it, is that the highest quality master recording of the artist's music in the recording company's possession is highly likely to be no better in quality than a standard resolution master, most likely in the form of a reel to reel tape. The provenance and sound quality level of the recorded music on this master tape, of course, is limited by the optimum specifications or capacities of the medium the master is originally recorded onto.  The quality level of  the recorded music, in effect, is set in stone after it's been originally recorded and cannot exceed the quality levels of the medium it was originally recorded on. 
3.  HD Tracks subsequently transferring this analog reel to reel master tape recording in standard resolution to a hi-res digital master recording format, therefore, has absolutely no capacity to improve the sound quality levels of the original master tape.  An analogy is a photograph that is limited by the camera technology and capacities of the camera utilized when the photo was originally taken.

     Unfortunately for music lovers, this means that original older music recordings, from artists that are no longer together or even alive, cannot be improved upon by transferring them to the higher capacity format of hi-res digital.  The only benefit of these transfers is that these recordings are in a much more durable format that does not degrade over time or with each use.

Tim

I have only read the first page of this thread, so apologies if someone has already said what I am about to.  I wonder if it comes down to the way someone hears. We know everyone's hearing is different to lesser or greater degrees.  Perhaps some hear a problem with digital that others are simply unable to hear.  Perhaps the same applies with vinyl.  I haven't heard  r2r in decades and even then, not on a good system, so I obviously can't speak to that format.  My own system is nice but a very long way from state of the art and, for my hearing, the recording is the deciding factor.  Bad recordings sound bad on digital and vinyl.  Good recordings sound good on both.  To the OP, I would say ask yourself why you might want to try analog.  If it is because you are dissatisfied with digital (which doesn't appear to be the case) then go ahead.  However, if you receive consistent pleasure from digital, then I wouldn't suggest going down that path.  Perfection doesn't exist and you can drive yourself crazy trying to find it.  I once had a professor who was an enthusiastic fan of classical music.  He once said to me that he often thought he should explore rock and jazz more, that he might be missing something.  My response was life is too short.  You can spend a lifetime listening to one genre of music and not have the quality of your life diminished in any way.  I would say the same about digital vs. analog.

I have listened to 63k turntable and similar CD, plus a 80K turntable v DCS Vivaldi 4 years ago.  Turntable more relaxed but detailed.  I really wish there was a CD player as good as a simple 50k. Master Innovation turntable.  Piano note purity on vinyl, smeared with CD, using master innovation, Jubilee cartridge, Universal 12 in arm.   CD player is Esoteric k01x and Simaudio Andromeda CD player.   I have bought high end since 1987.

 

Additionally, in 2022,  TechDAS Air Force 3 Premium vs DCS Rossini APEX.   Wagner Solti Gotterdammerung, vinyl wins.