The character of analog and digital

Indeed, welcome back @millercarbon !

Were you banned or did you just take a break?

I owe you for the raves about Townshend and Better Records!

@ghdprentice 

Your digital is very close to your analog. I was stunned by your digital.

But close is only good for horseshoes and hand grenades. 
You may recall my comment about hearing the fine nature of Steven Stills’ guitar.

Only on vinyl did I hear that he was playing a great old Martin. On digital it sounded great but, overall, it did not reach that level of nuanced reality.

With recent upgrades in my digital setup I feel no more need for further upgrades. Streaming and/or digital is capable of outstanding performance, relaxed, spacious, extreme resolution, pushes all the right buttons, both for analytical and music loving mind. Anyone who claims otherwise has not heard top flight digital.

So, being long time vinyl guy, and with well over 3k albums can't give up on analog. To compete with my digital I've had to make some major upgrades  to my existing setup with Technics SP10MkII and Jelco TK850L. Very recent purchases of Audio Technica ART9XA, Korf ceramic headshell, Boston Audio Mat2, Zavfino Gold Rush phono cable and Thoress Phono Enhancer phono pre will hopefully bring my analog up to digital sound quality. I made assumption I had to go big with upgrades vs present setup to compete with my digital. I'm at point with digital where if I achieved same sound quality via vinyl I'd be happy camper.

@mglik

Thank you for your kind words.

I find which sounds better (analog / digital file/ Streaming) depends. You clearly are a better judge than I on the nuances of specific instruments. But in some cases I find the vinyl is just less detailed than the same version streamed, sometimes the reverse. I am not sure, but it easily could be which vinyl press or what number pressing. We would have to review a lot of albums to find an average.

Alternatively, with your professional musical background you may be more grounded in exactly how and instrument should sound. I may be deaf to some of those nuances and value some other aspect.

To me, given the variability of each medium I find them on about equal footing… one shining brighter from time to time.

But happy to have you over whenever you like to continue the experiment.

Very recent purchases of Audio Technica ART9XA, Korf ceramic headshell, Boston Audio Mat2, Zavfino Gold Rush phono cable and Thoress Phono Enhancer phono pre will hopefully bring my analog up to digital sound quality.

@sns How is the Korf headshell?
I put one on at teh same I switched carts, and it is either the HS the cart, or the combo… but it seemed to lower sibilance,

what say you?

+1 @david_ten 

I think many are looking for an absolute truth. To accept that they are different is to believe one or the other is ‘wrong’. People should get over that. I generally try to listen to music in its original source - at first. Then I try and just listen. 
 

In my system the dynamics of analog generally overcome any concerns of a soft focus veil. What some may consider comprise others would call balance.