Has anyone been able to define well or measure differences between vinyl and digital?

@prosdds , there is value in a blind test, but there is no point doing that test for vinyl and CD. The noise, even the faintest clicks/pops, will quickly identify the vinyl. Even if it did not, you would need 1 of each mastered exactly the same. Does that exist? Is there a test record that matches a test CD?  After that you need a perfectly set up turntable. Nice to test to aspire too, practically impossible.

@asctim , @grislybutter , I think they are on the right track. @asctim has provided concrete differences between CD and vinyl. @grislybutter talks about learned responses or learned likes. If you tie your self worth to your likes and purchases, then you may be inclined to argue that those likes and purchases are inherently better, not just for you, but for everyone. Maybe it is just the mastering, but I am inclined to believe it is the flaws in the vinyl that often give it that special magic. Not always, not even 50% of the time for me, but when it works, it works really well. For me, it does not need to be superior technically for me to like it.

For discussion accuracy, vinyl, tape, and analog are not the same thing. Vinyl and tape are storage mediums that are predominantly analog in nature. What would perfect analog sound like? Digital!! :-)

@mahler123

With all this esoterica being discussed, how does one account for the phenomena of the fact that most lps these days use digital files, and vinylista think they sound great, as long as they don’t know the truth?

Thinking in terms of LP vs Digital dichotomy doesn't explain it. More nuance is needed. At the very least, the Digital formats needs to be split onto Below The Transparency Threshold and Over the Transparency Threshold.

The Transparency Threshold depends on nature of music and hearing abilities of listener. It is different between typical pop music and untrained listeners vs classical symphonies and professional musicians or sound engineers.

Since this is an audiophile forum, I prefer to talk about the High Transparency Threshold. Here I deliberately use terminology different from official, e.g. High Definition Audio, to keep it free from marketing attachments.

In my previous posts, I gave hints as to why I believe CD format is significantly below the High Transparency Threshold, whereas 192/24 PCM and DSD128 are slightly above it. Going into even more detailed technical discussions here does not appear fruitful.

So, as I understand it, if an LP is pressed from a digital format that is over the High Transparency Threshold, it ought to sound no different compared to one pressed from an analog studio master of the same recording.

Finally, after all this science, we get to enjoy the music. Imagine that. 

Fascinating discussion. I've not read every reply thoroughly, but I want to add a thought. I have made digital recordings of the best vinyl records I own. Playback of these recordings is indistinguishable from live vinyl playback (blind-tested).

The reverse is not true. I don't have an easy way to know if a particular vinyl pressing of an album was cut the same master as the CD release. However, I am confident that most listeners could easily distinguish between the two during playback.

As a practical matter, recording and mastering quality for a given album trump delivery format. If the best-preserved recording of a performance exists only on vinyl (e.g., tapes are degraded or lost), then vinyl will be the best format for that album. The same applies if all digital masters suffer from dynamic range compression because the mastering intent was earbuds listeners.

Another practical point: I have listened to a few systems that were highly optimized for vinyl playback. Every component in the analog playback chain was selected for maximum synergy to deliver an even, engaging response. For example, if the speakers were overly forward, a phono cartridge was chosen with a more relaxed presentation. The owners usually did not apply the same care when they added digital playback capability to these systems. As a result, vinyl playback genuinely sounded better, but that need not have been the case.

Ultimately, it does not matter which format is objectively superior. Vinyl will generally sound better on a system that is turned better for vinyl playback. The best available master for a particular album will generally sound best, regardless of delivery format (ignoring flawed pressings, damaged media, and low-bit-rate MP3 :-).

@mahler123 

even if the source was digitized, the vinyl will be analog. It will be different but still analog. 

Analog is not always or sometimes better. It's always different. I have 2 or 3 copies of my favorite LPs and CDs, Each LP sounds very different. CDs not so much. Vinyl to me is the shortest distance between the source and the speaker - processing-wise