I can't do the hiss and pops. I can't deal with a radio station that has
low level static or very high hiss like the university station near me.
These are not problems of the format, they are problems of the setup. If you don't like those things, you can simply do a set up so they don't happen.
My opinion: The CD format will always kick the LP's ass when it comes to
having the capability of providing better fidelity,
greater
dynamic range, clear channel separation, no surface noise, little
mechanical (drive) noise and playing a media that last a really long
time (as compared to records).
The Library of Congress did a study of recorded media about 30 years ago and came back with some interesting results. Any laminated media like tape and CD will fail in years or decades, where non-laminated media like LPs and the stampers to make them can last over a century if properly stored (I have LPs that play fine that were made over 60 years ago). As far as fidelity goes, the LP has bandwidth to about 40KHz and has since the early 1960s (The Westerex 3D cutterhead and electronics were bandwidth limited at 42KHz and had to be for a good reason; cartridges of that era didn't have that bandwidth, but they do now and have for several decades). Dynamic range is the purview of mastering, not the media, and since CDs are expected to be played in cars, the LP typically has a greater dynamic range. When we are mastering an LP, we usually have to be clear with the producer of the project that we need the master file, not the one made for CD mastering for this very reason.
I've found that surface noise has as much to do with the phono preamp often moreso than it does the LP surface itself. I think I explained that in my prior post. If not I can as many here know go into it in some depth :)
I do think digital will overcome its current limitations, but IME it won't be done with CD- it will be some sort of memory. Right now the Cloud seems risky to me- I know too many people that have lost their music to the cloud, due to security and in particular where the software suspected the music of not being the right providence.
