Dear friends: I already posted my answer to the thread and some thoughts about.
The thread goes to the " never end " CD vs analog debate about which is better. Thinking on this subject I think that there are some different " areas " where we can analyse which medium is better, example: if we take which medium is more accurate ( I mean which one reproduce with the less deviation what was recording. ) perhaps we could say that the CD is better within its own frequency range, let " see " it:
in the analog sound reproduction the signal " suffer " two heavy degradation first the recording equalization ( RIAA ) and second the inverse equalization in the phonolinepreamp, the bigger problem here is that the inverse equalization that must be a mimic from the original ( the one that was in the recording ) is not really a true mimic: exist deviations where we lost the original recording frequency response, this inaccuracy is one of the imperfection subject in the analog medium.
Other subject is the cartridge frequency response where exist big deviations from the original recording due to the frequency deviations on the cartridge response: the best cartridges have, no better than, +,- 1db 20 to 20Khz in ideal play conditions ( not in our analog rigs ), this goes against the accuracy in the signal reproduction.
Then we have other subjects that preclude accuracy on the analog sound reproduction: record warps, rumble, woow and flutter, step-up transformers, necessity of high gain phonolinepreamps with out noise/distortions, the necessity to make a perfect cartridge set-up: VTA/VTFAS/AZ and the perfect tonearm match, the " sound/noises " that are not on the recording and that the cartridge generate when the stylus touch and " play " in the vynil, the LP suffer a degradation each time we play it, etc, etc.
What happen in the CD/digital medium: well there exist too two process where the signal " suffer " some degradation ( in lesser range than the analog one because is very dificult to " loose " bits with today digital technology ), analog to digital and then digital to analog , of course that the signal has some " problems " between all the process in the digital domain ( like hitter/clocking/etc ) but at the end of the " day " the final signal that we are hearing is more accurate to the original signal than in the analog medium.
Through the digital medium the signal " suffer " less degradation than in an analog medium, inclusive the digital medium does not need a phonolinepreamp because it could be connected directly to the amplifiers: the digital medium is more " clean " than the analog one.
From this point of view IMHO the digital medium is a lot better than the analog one.
Why then many of us preffer the analog over digital? ( other that we own a lot of LP's ), with all the analog imperfections and inaccuracies it has, at least, one advantage: frequency response wider range than the digital one, specially in the high frequency range. Here it is the digital Aquiles heel and here is almost the great differences in what we heard through analog against digital.
The digital promoters choose 16 bits for this medium and this resolution bits along with the 22.05kHz on the frequency response ( where the digital medium has to use filters to cut the high frequency response ) against 50kHz in the analog medium and this fact makes the difference. That's why we hear the silver records agressive, metalic, cold, with out " soul ", etc, etc.
Unfortunatelly the 24/192 digital technology almost disappear because no body ( other that a very small group of people that cares about music and cares about quality sound reproduction: like us. ) cares about quality sound reproduction, but this 24/192 digital technology ( specially the DVDA ) has nothing to envy to the analog one and in some areas surpass with easy the analog medium.
Yes, I think that this technology is superior to the analog one not only like technology it self but in the quality sound reproduction.
With all the inaccuracies that the analog medium has we like it more than the Redbook ( is a lot better in sound reproduction quality. ), as a fact we like the analog beautiful " colorations " and this is all about.
Till we don't have a true commercial 24/192 digital technology the analog one will be the better one in quality sound reproduction and I think that the analog stay here for ever or at least till we own LP's.
What we need is to " push " to the analog manufacturers devices to make a better design efforts to give us a better audio devices performers.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
