Dear Nevillekapadia: Certainly R2R always is a good option to make comparisons unfortunatelly we can't find out all the software we could need and that's why I took the digital road.
In the digital alternative like in a R2R does not exist both RIAA eq. proccess, no phono stage, no TT/tonearm/cartridge/vinyl and additional cables, so in these regards has lower distortions that permit to be aware easy on differences not only between tonearm/cartridge combinations but the whole system distortions level.
I prefer the today latest digital alternative ( latest DACs. ) becaus eis more easy more user friendly and has a very high quality performance level and we can find out a lot of similar LPs recordings.
In the other side R2R has its own problems we can attest for it if we compare a D2D recording against the same normal recording, I did this through the Shefield recordings that have the same recording versions in both formats D2D and through R2R: the difference is evident, higher distortions/noise through the R2R version. Other way where we can attest the same is through digital recordings LPs as the old Telarc ones where even that the signal was recorded through R2R what was recorded were 0s and 1s and this is whar is recovered trough the LP cutting proccess with no R2R high noise and distortions. We can hear all those " anomalies " that does not exist in the today latest digital alternative.
IMHO R2R/analog can't compete in the distortions whole subject against the digital alternative.
The R2R master tapes all suffer of time/aged printhrough and we never can be sure that all the recording information was recorded at 100% : always because the R2R it self and the tape system to recording exist information loosed or bad recorded in the other side through the digital alternative the recording proccess see only 0s and 1s!!! and if we take other digital alternatives as could be hard dics and the like we can be even better.
IMHO analog is non-accurate by it self it can't be in other way is part of the technology a very old technology. No, nothing is perfect and certainly digital is not either.
I don't know if you knew that R2R generate odd harmonics and even that " we love it ".
My take is that right infront our nose/ears exist a truly " new " world to improve our LP analog experience and the good news is that we all coul have access to it if we start that distortion adventure through lowering each kind of distortion in each audio link in our audio system: there is no other way or following sticked with that " terrible/desastrous " LP quality level performance we have right now.
I know we can be a lot better because I'm experienced it. Please try to think and try to take actions " out of the box ", this simple fact is the KEY to the New World!!!, all is up to each one of us.
Of course that some of us like the today audio life like to think that Earth is flat and nothing wrong with that because at the end each one of us have the privilige to choose their self MUSIC enjoyment.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
