When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Adhoc;

We believe much of the same things except we are on opposite side of the line. I believe in and recognize the romance and nostalgia as you point out and please note I have had 10K records and still have atleast 2500.

I have had turntables from VPI, SOTA, Well Tempered, Linn and Roksan.

And preamps from AR, EAR, MOTIF, Audible Illusions

The thing is records are history, they are not coming back and when it comes to 24bit digital they aren't even close to the same quality.

I still (although rarely) get paid to setup turntables, I am still considered an analog expert by some people. Funny I know. But I know more about analog than I do digital right now, I bet you can you the same thing?

I know you "prefer" analog, but that doesn't make it better. I know why you prefer analog and it has to do with your system. A Subaru STi can mop up any Ferrari on a gravel dirt road, if you design a car for a particular enviroment it will outperform a superior car out of its element.

Analog and Digital are so different in what they demand from a system design to be their "best" you will almost never reach an equality between the two. I have tried for over a decade to get a balance and its difficult. My success with playing music in surround put an end to my struggles with analog as digital with surround is just too much for the LP to withstand.

We have to let go of the LP, so the hobby can move forward. $7,000+ turntables are never going to be supported widely, so we have to accept that if you have analog keep it enjoy it, but stop saying its better, because it isn't even close to what we can get from digital.

Let me use this analogy, sometime this year Brett Favre will stop being the Packers QB, its because he isn't getting any better and no matter how good he is now and how good he was, the Packers need to develop a new QB to attempt to solidify their future.

We have to support a digital format to fuel its development, the LP's best days are over. In four years we will put it in the Hall of Fame.

Digital is so much more than just a format, it get into room eq and other capabilites that will take audio to the next level.

Those who love analog sure love to bash digital....
I have yet to come across a thread which started the other way round....when will Analog get the soul of music, what is wrong with analog, for example?

I understand perfectly all that tweaking, cleaning, mechanical beauty stuff and the need to bash digital, after all Digital is about Digit (numbers) and Analog is about Alan (behavior)

There I go again with my digital bad habits, I can't help the jitter messing up some of the bits, even as I write. And what is missed can't be filled in by our ears/brains, at least not by us less retentive folks.

Audiofeil, I might agree with you. The problem is sometimes with digital we accept less. As an example, I refer to my, "instant relaxation" statement. Audiofeil and D_edwards, we are all after music, aren't we? Surely, as talented as both of you are, we can all get something from both of you? Adhoc(here comes my ignorance), you didn't mention this, but I will repeat it. Ones and zeroes(on or off) aren't music. So what if you sample it at 196khz. What does that mean? It seems to me that you are just not limiting the highs(I may be wrong here.). My cd player(APL Denon 3910) doesn't unsample regular cd's, and the highs are fine(I know, my speakers!). Regular cd's are, what, 44kz? Now, we come to bits(The only stupid question is the one unasked.). 24 bits(or more) versus 16 bits(regular cd)-what does that mean? There are more ones and zeroes within a given physical area? Anyhow, in practical terms, the mechanicals of turntable playback introduce inconsistencies, that with a proper cd-player(i.e., APL 3910) are, to me, about equal. I'm not talking about arm and cartridge here. I'm talking about level, belt, and springs. I once dialed in a turntable correctly(Ariston RD 11e, with Grace 707, and ADC XLM 3), and it involved dropping the motor from the top-board. People(i.e., Fremer of Stereophile) shouldn't discount what Roksan has done with their motor.

Well, as I said, I am very pleased with my digital outfit, the CD/SACD Accuphase DP-85.
I am not an anti-digital and pro-analog.
I still buy LP's when I find something interesting, but I more often buy CD's.
(I won't even mention all the practical plus of the digital over the analog).

Maybe I am just half deaf or with terribly decadent tastes but, with a great system, both digital and analog (100'000$), I prefer my best recorded LP's to my best recorded CD or SACD.

That's all !

All you have to do is here is one live musial event of a particular genre (Jazz, Rock or classical), make a lot mental notes, come home put one LP of same genre and style (of course the same exact music is even better), listen carefully. Then while memory still fresh, put on a CD of same LP and listen. Be honest. Admit which is more CLOSER to the live event you just attended. Well I have done this many times this year. LPs come ahead every single time. Sure CDs can sound SPECTACULAR, but NOT like the live event. Don't take my word for it, Do it deligently and many times as possible. IMHO of course. I do listen to CDs but only when I don't want WASTE my LPs ;-)