Madman! Digital vs Vinyl


Anyone out there who has a great vinyl setup and a great digital setup, try this!

Bring up Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection Deluxe Edition on Qubuz for digital which includes Madman Across the Water and play it.

 

Then pull out your vinyl of Madman Across the Water and play it.  
 

Please tell me which sounds better on your system and what you have for TT, cartridge and phono preamp.

 

 I won’t bias the results by telling you what I think.

 

 Thanks 

dougthebiker

I have 4 or 5 non-US pressings of Tumbleweed that are early, including a couple UK DJMs and some other early ex-US DJM pressings. The earliest UK pressing I have here actually has less pronounced bass than some of the others. (Sorry don't have the matrices to hand). I do have an SACD of it too, which sounds fine for what it is, but I'm far more advanced on vinyl playback than I am on digital. I had Qobuz for a little while but found that it didn't have what I was chasing-- stuff that is unobtaninum on vinyl, hard to find, private or small label. It did sound pretty good for what it was, though. (Don't remember if I tried Tumbleweed via Qobuz when I was using it). 

I think a lot depends on system. 

If an LP plays in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it still sound better than a CD?  Why do people continue to do these silly comparisons?  🤣

Digital has strengths - are they important to you?

Analogue has strengths - are they important to you?

There is no 'best' - but there sure is 'different'.

I ask because I‘ve got a $5k TT with a $2k cartridge on it and am trying to figure out whether it’s worth investing in a really good phono preamp or not.

Based on responses so far, I’m thinking maybe not.