When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Objex,
Excellent observation. Currently both mediums when implemented to a high standard can sound superb. Both also have the capacity to sound less than grand. I`ve come to the conclusion one is`nt instrinsically superior to the other. I recognize that for some defending analog has taken on a religious zeal. To each their own.

Objex and Charles1dad, in a long ago posting on this thread, I basically said what you said plus the additional observation that neither was the equal of good magnetic tapes. I have since greatly improved my digital with a music server from Empirical Audio. This has been an awesome improvement, but now using a new BMC MCCI phono stage, I am hearing what I have never thought possible from vinyl. I often think vinyl cannot be achieving this detail, dynamic, depth, etc. You have to go into this unit with balanced ics, but wow!

As good as my digital has become, it will never equal what I am hearing from vinyl, but of course, all I need to do with my digital is to select from among approximately 175 albums from my Ipad using the Remote app and play it. I can then put away all my cds.

Tbg,
I understand your point and don`t for a moment doubt that in your current system the analog bests the digital. But on the other hand I`ve read numerous posts where someone states their digital front end (APL NWO 4.0M owners for just one example) now betters or at the very least equals "any" analog system they`ve ever used or have heard. It just goes on and on(as it always will) based on one`s latest experience with a given component. That`s why in absolute terms I can`t except the concept of "the best" in highend audio, there`re far too many varibles.

Charles1dad, typically, I would entirely agree. Listen to the BMC MCCI if you can, and you will understand.

We are getting much closer... I just installed a Cambridge DacMagic 3 and I am running 'hi-rez' 24/96 FLAC files from HDTracks.com via my Macbook Pro into it and the results are very, very good. (Using the digital-out headphone jack of the MacBook with a mini stereo to Toslink cable). Experimenting with both the Pure Music and Decibel software programs to play the files.

I won't say that all the music sounds as good as my vinyl rig, but I will say that it is getting much closer than ever before and listening to music with the hi-rez data files is darn good!