Is Digital actually better than Analog?

Does any digital step in the recording process ruin music forever? What about digitally recorded music that has been mastered to Analog (Vinyl) - is this better than straight CD?

(I guess my question is directed to those that claim Analog is always better than digital. Conversion to Vinyl should, in theory, raise the noise floor and add back some of the distortion that is missing from a digital CD, due to the inaccuracies in the mechanical cutting, presssing and cartridge needle pick up process. Apart from hiss and clicks - most of this added distortion is probably harmonic in nature, and after all, that is what a tube amp does and this effect sounds very good to many people)

Cdwallace, you will not find any objectivist charts to show you the difference between digital and analog. If that is what you are looking for, it doesn't exist. If you would rather not be bothered with analog, that is fine also.

I concur with Mike, music is art, and cannot help but be judged subjectively. There are no charts to explain why someone prefers a Van Gogh over a Picasso. No charts to show why someone prefers chocolate over vanilla. No graphs will show why one prefers a convertible over a hard top automobile. If someone claims that driving with the wind blowing through ones hair is the best way to drive, should he have to provide scientific evidence?

Loosen your collar, live a little. If you do not have the funds for both, choose the format that suits your lifestayle best. Then just relax and enjoy it.

My system is not nearly as SOTA as Mike's, but I do have a fairly balanced budget between analog and digital. My digital rig is about 2/3 the cost of my analog rig. I also listen to digital 75% of the time. However, I, and everyone who has heard my system, even non-audiophiles, believe the analog sounds better, more-involving, than digital. I have no charts, but I and others talk less and listen more when analog is playing versus digital. I have no color charts to prove this, or explain why, it just is.

So why do I listen to what I claim is inferior sonically 75% of the time.....good question, Iask myself that often.
The answer is two fold, first, digital has analog beat handily in the convienience factor. I'm either busier (multi-tasking) or just lazy sometimes (70 min play times vs. 20 min), or sometimes it's software that I don't have on vinyl. Secondly, my digital system does sound very good, it's not exactly a Best Buy special. One only notices the shortcomings when comparing directly to analog. I'm only dissapointed in my digital system if I try to switch to digital immediately after listening to vinyl. If I'm just in the house, and reading or working, and fire up the rig with digital, it sounds great.

Maybe you are best just to go with digital. Many do, for the sake of convienience and/or $$$. If you don't have the analog to A/B for yourself in your own system, you will probably never know any better and save yourself some dough.

Cheers,
John

Why would anyone even consider the switch, nevertheless post the question, if analog is so superior to digital?”

Ignorance …

'Does any digital step in the recording process ruin music forever?'

Yes

'What about digitally recorded music that has been mastered to Analog (Vinyl) - is this better than straight CD?'

No, they are worse than CD. You actually get the worst of both worlds.

'due to the inaccuracies in the mechanical cutting, presssing and cartridge needle pick up process.'

With a reasonable setup the 'inaccuracies' (to coin your phrase) is smaller than redbook anologue to digital and subsequent digital to analogue conversion.

Pauly,

What a shame for those of you who dislike any form of digital, as the audio/video industry seems so hell bent on digital. DVD, Satellite and HD TV are obvious winners againt VHS and old analog signal modulation transmission like AM/FM etc. Online music and video on demand looks likely to kill these older formats forever....even CD, after surviving DVD-A and SACD will probably be displaced by some kind of MP format as the media of choice for audio. Analog will be like cars with carburators....vintage collector's items and increasingly difficult to find.