When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Having just returned from the RMAF and again heard very musical reproduction of mono records, I think there is a clear difference between the best digital sound and the best vinyl sound. The first is very musical and the second can be very real sounding, as though you are there at the recording.

I bought my first cds in London in 1983. I had no cd player at the time. I can assure you that what I heard when I got my first Dual Audio toaster like cd player has been totally eclipsed today with my present double DSD playback system. Getting the digital filters well beyond 50 kHz has revealed much of the music that they previously obscured.

"I think there is a clear difference between the best digital sound and the best vinyl sound. The first is very musical and the second can be very real sounding, as though you are there at the recording."

Tbg,
I really like that. It is certainly worth pondering about. If you equate "musical" with what we might hear at a live concert, especially when the music starts to really draw you into it, I think I must fully agree with your statement.
Happy listening to both sources!

Vinyl can be excellent, but it has its limitations, including dynamic range and frequency response. These are not limiters for digital. Digital of course has its issues, including jitter, format, sample-rate, digital filtering and I/V conversion. The fortunate thing is that these digital issues can be continuously improved, whereas we have hit the wall on the vinyl limitations. Vinyl is going nowhere and digital continues to improve.

There area few digital systems that now challenge vinyl and even reel-to-reel tape. There will be more in the future. This is only the beginning of better things to come.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

"This is only the beginning of better things to come."
Steve,
Last not least thanks to your work, I think you're definitely right on that one.

On the other hand I cannot quite agree with what you say about vinyl. New hardware, from AR to Lamm, just to mention some, show us, that there is more in those grooves than what we thought possible.

Monday