Analog vs Digital

I use a VPI Aries, JMW arm, and ClearAudio Gamma MC cartridge, which is more expensive than my digital gear and sounds quite good. Before that I was using a Townshend Audio Mk-III Rock with a Transfiguration cartridge. My digital is the Bel Canto DAC-1, connected to a Parasound C/BD-2000 belt-drive transport with a Harmonic Technology digital cable. My feeling is that unless everything is perfectly set-up and tuned in on the analog side, the digital sounds a bit better. With meticulously dialed-in analog I think the TT sounds a little better. The latest digital gear is giving analog strong competition in my opinion. However, my CD transport still won't play LPs--and I have quite a few records. :)

No real need for debate, analog is music, digital is convienient. I listen and enjoy analog, I use digital for background listening. Digital has improved a great deal, but is still light years behind analog for pure musical enjoyment.

My digital setup (Forsell Mk IV transport/dCS Purcell upsampler/Audio Logic 2400/Marantz DV18 for 24/96 discs)is almost twice as expensive as my analog setup (Basis Ovation/Graham 2.0tc/Benz Ruby 2/Walker Precision Motor Drive). The digital does some things better than the analog in terms of ultimate resolution and bass (although I've noticed those differences shrinking with the crop of vinyl reissues from Classic and Testament) and is something I can listen to both for extended periods without fatigue and, of more importance, in the same session as analog, although I still prefer the vinyl for its warmth and continuousness. I recently purchased a Sony SACD player, currently being modified by Audio Logic to give it their tubed analog stage and a separate analog power supply. That, and 24/96 digital, are the first digital products I've owned that seem to get close to the openness and ease of analog, although I've yet to do a detailed comparison between SACD and my turntable. I'll still never stop listening to and collecting vinyl, and my preference in long term listening for pleasure lies there, but I think that now you can get digital setups that will at least hold a candle to a good turntable, probably for a lot less than I've spent.

If enough Audiogon posters actually agreed that a particular digital rig would compete with analog, I would like to find a way to get one to audition. Interestingly, people that own analog (turntables), Seem to argue much less about the differences between models. Most agree that while quality differences do exist (usually price dependant) Basis, VPI, Walker, etc. all make great music, especially when coupled with equal quality tone arms. Obviously phono cartridge and the set up procedures play an equal role, but with each of these combinations of choices, the essential sound that analog delivers, remains the same kind of magic. Digital media seems to have not yet reached that level of repeatability and perfection. It is also obvious that there is no "one" particular model or combination that will sway enough people to agree on a particular digital models superiority. Again, I am disappointed that there is not a simple answer for this. For me, the only choice is to enjoy the musical excellence of my analog, while waiting to see if there will ever be a "magic" digital rig. One where it is the overwhelming and obvious choice for getting the music right.

Jeffiostarca, I couldnt agree with you more..digital is convenient, and as always I concur with Albertporter. As I rarely buy "audiophile grade recordings, I own several recordings both on vinyl and cd, many many times the cd's disappoint me, aside from some surface noise never am I unhappy with the vinyl version.