The character of analog and digital

“I tend to play my CDs when I’m in the kitchen cooking or entertaining friends because they are definitely more convenient, quicker and easier. I play my LPs when I can actually sit down in the living room and fully enjoy the music I want to hear.”

@oldaudiophile

I respect your preference/sentiments for Vinyl and for keeping an open mind. However, I can’t imagine anyone rushing back to pick up the stylus in the middle of cooking or a conversation so by design one must babysit Vinyl playback to enjoy 20 min or less playing time.

If you have vested the same amount of energy and efforts in Vinyl and Digital (CD or Streaming), both can be equally enjoyable. They may sound different but far from being inferior in comparison. 

Another aspect I find interesting is the desire for and expectation of sameness / similarity.

Roughly one-third (to half) of the front end of each system type is radically different. For illustration, I get a significant difference in sound based on a single power cable swap. I’ve had cable adapters influence the sound of the system.

I expect that an analog system or a digital system will sound different...because they are actually and materially different.

The real 'problem' with CDs is that they take the 'audiophile' out of the process.  You put it in the tray, and that's the end of your involvement.  In all other ways concerning music reproduction, they are superior to LPs.  And any other format for that matter.

If only we could 'upgrade' the lasers, or had CD cleaning machines, or could see them spinning  etc etc.  there is nothing to fiddle with!!

Cheers

@rok2id

I get where you coming from, the tactile experience of vinyl playback (starting from removing LP from shelf, admiring the exquisite art work and content, removing LP from jacket, the 5 step cleaning ritual before finally dropping the needle) all can be very fulfilling to many. That’s just one aspect of Vinyl playback, we have not even discussed the steps required to setup a turntable :-)

Now you can get most of aforementioned tactile experience from a top loading CD player and XRCD’s that features exquisite packaging and artwork. I use ahp Klangtuch IV cloth to wipe clean and remove any electrostatic charges on all of my CD’s before dropping them in my top loading Raysonic CD128 player.

@lalitk +1, @david_tenYou nailed it 🖐️🎤 ⬇️

Agreed!  David, excellent observation and perspective.

Charles