Quote:
Originally Posted by ariess
Well there can't be a definitive answer to digital vs analog because compressed MP3's are terrible and digital while cassettes (or AM radio) can be analog and suck. So it must be the execution that makes the difference.
My two cents is figure out which kind of music collection you can most readily support, it can take a lifetime to put your collection together, and make that sound the best possible. If someone had a huge vinyl or CD or digital file collection, it would be silly to switch formats because someone told you the other is better.
My music is all in the digital domain and I have had top shelf sources (now the Esoteric K1, Master clock and Aurender streamer). I heard a lot about vinyl so I put together a modest vinyl system (ARC LP1 phonostage and a Project turntable), a set that cost at the time a tenth of my digital front end (at the time an ARC REF CD 9). I greatly preferred the digital source on the same recording and since I didn't have much vinyl it was an easy decision to stay with digital. I don't doubt that if I invested much more into the vinyl source (both in $$$ and auditions) than I did it could be competitive. I think it's likely that a top shelf of one will sound better than a modest version of the other and you get what you pay for.
The one drawback on vinyl I don't think I could get used to is surface noise. It just distracts me and conflicts with the drama I find when the music rises up from inky nothingness.
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I don't hear very much surface noise in my system. Yes, there is a little, and some records are worse than others. For the most part it's a non issue with the right setup.