30 Years of Perfect Sound?

"The best vinyl still sounds better and is more enjoyable to listen too than the 'best' digital."

You may have heard the best vinyl, but you have not heard the best digital. I can give you several customer reports that they sold their vinyl because it was not as good as their digital. They may not have had the best vinyl, but the cost of that is orders of magnitude higher than the best digital IME.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Hi Stickman451,

I'm sure your vinyl sounds nice, you cannot compare your old Sony SACD which was ok in it's day. Modern computers and the development of digital equipment have come along way.

I suggest you go and try some rather than forming an opinion from 5 to 10 years ago. Get some HD recordings. Nothing is lacking unless you are addicted to noise and pleasant distortion?

"Nothing is lacking unless you are addicted to noise and pleasant distortion?"

I am currently in a state of remission.......

Digital=Better than Live

Always the same discussions about analog/digital since 30 years.

I have plenty of 96hz/24bit recordings and they sound very good through my PS Audio Dac and on my new Magnepan 20.7's, but my very best records still sound better...is the digital better is some ways? Yes! Is is generally quieter overall, check!, does it have ample slam and power in the bass and mid-bass, check!... But, overall does it convey a greater sense of realism and a 'you are there' or 'they are here'feeling, nope!... Emotionally, vinyl still wins out for raising the most goosebumps...

I have heard a fair number of 'high-end' digital demos too and many sounded very good, but none really reached the best vinyl.

The very best digital that I have ever heard was a rig at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest that used Audio Research electronics, Wilson Sophia's, and the Light Harmonic DaVinci DAC; it sounded very good and very much like vinyl...it even raised goosebumps on a number of tracks; However, that DAC cost close to $20k now and with the same electronics and speakers you could do just as well with a $10k table.

I would agree that eventually, one day, digital will reach vinyl's performance and will even surpass it; that day just hasn't arrived quite yet...