Digital as good or better than YOUR analog?

My system may not be a fair comparison, but I prefer digital in most respects. However, my analog rig (VPI HW-19 Jr./RB300) is not really up to my digital source (GamuT CD-1S).

Bomarc has it correct. It's really a function of the mastering job on the medium that you're playing. I had an audio club meeting at my place last June. We played the same albums on CD and on vinyl, then voted. Lots of different ears and opinions. It was about 60% vinyl and 40% digital at the end, with quite a few surprises. All agreed that the recording itself was the most important element.

Basically you can't find the same mastering job on both CD and vinyl for the same album. If you could then some universal truth's probably will come out, like the vinyl seems to be smoother and more liquid, but the digital seems faster and tighter with (possibly) more extension, depending on your cartridge.

Enjoy the hunt,
Bob

I agree with Bomarc and Ptmconsulting (okay - Bob). We're at the point where, given decent gear for both anolog and digital playback, the mastering and manufacturing quality of the software is often the larger determinant in terms of ultimate sonic quality (although digital will always enjoy certain inherent advantages in the area of lowest noise).

But as for my own rig, I can't really say. The few recordings I own in both formats yield mixed results for overall superiority, some going one way, some the other. The fact that I play analog much more often than digital has entirely to do with my collection, and nothing to do with audiophile considerations.

What does "better" mean? For me I was always annoyed by LP surface noise and rumble, and the inconvenience of constanly cleaning away dust. Therefore, for me, CD's were an improvement from day one.

Today my digital playback equipment is considerably improved (as is my LP gear) and there is no comparison, audiowise: digital wins. Perhaps if I invested more than $10,000 in LP playback equipment the contest would be closer. But that is not about to happen.

I don't know! My goal is to make my analog and digital rigs sound *closer* to each other--not one better than the other. I am doing more mods to my Technics 1200 and my belt drive transport is in the hands of Dan Wright for a very serious modding job. When everything is set I'll find out how close I got one to the other...

With psychic power and primal intensity,