Hard to make valid comparisons unless you're comparing the sound of the LP vs. CD releases of the same recordings. Even then, the recording may be processed differently to release it in the two formats. An example of extremes is Anita Baker's "Rapture": the LP sounds very good and dynamic and the CD sounds dynamically compressed. An example of very good sound in both formats would be Janis Ian's "Breaking Silence" (it may still be available from Acoustic Sounds). But my personal choice would still be the vinyl version of the latter recording (more air, more fine detail).
I think the Ortofon is the bottleneck in your current analog setup. Even with an upgrade to a Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood (haven't heard one myself, so I may be wrong), it would still be a moving magnet, high output pickup. To get more high frequency bandwidth, you might need to get a low output (low coil inductance) moving coil cartridge. Twenty years ago, the general problems with the latter would have been mediocre tracking and elevated high frequencies. But these days you can buy low output MC's with good tracking and flat frequency response (e.g., Benz, Cardas, Dynavector). Even on a budget, the Audio Technica OC-9 (around $200) has a decent amount of air and fine detail (more than a $1200 Grado Reference), but it has an audible peak in the treble (not as bad as the Blue Point Special). The Denon DL-103 (around $300 imported) is even better.
As for the Theta Pro Basic II, been there and done that (hey, I gave you my DAC). You may not be hearing the best out of it if you're running it through the Sonic Frontiers SFL-1. Try running its output through a pair of EVS attenuators into your active crossover box. You should hear more transparency and detail.
I think the Ortofon is the bottleneck in your current analog setup. Even with an upgrade to a Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood (haven't heard one myself, so I may be wrong), it would still be a moving magnet, high output pickup. To get more high frequency bandwidth, you might need to get a low output (low coil inductance) moving coil cartridge. Twenty years ago, the general problems with the latter would have been mediocre tracking and elevated high frequencies. But these days you can buy low output MC's with good tracking and flat frequency response (e.g., Benz, Cardas, Dynavector). Even on a budget, the Audio Technica OC-9 (around $200) has a decent amount of air and fine detail (more than a $1200 Grado Reference), but it has an audible peak in the treble (not as bad as the Blue Point Special). The Denon DL-103 (around $300 imported) is even better.
As for the Theta Pro Basic II, been there and done that (hey, I gave you my DAC). You may not be hearing the best out of it if you're running it through the Sonic Frontiers SFL-1. Try running its output through a pair of EVS attenuators into your active crossover box. You should hear more transparency and detail.