When does analog compete with digital?

It should read "When does digital compete with analog" as digital is an imitation of the real thing with the exception of some of the newer 24/192 and other high rez digital which is just wonderful if done right..... I usually find I have to spend 2-3 times as much on digital to get close. Now to murky the waters a bit, a good cd stomps a poor vinyl record so the comparison must take into consideration there are fantastic recordings in cd and analog, as well as crappy recordings in both medium. Which is better.....depends on the recording used....jallen

"Which is better.....depends on the recording used...."
well said!

I agree with those who say your question is backwards. Yes, digital can be very clear and extremely detailed. However, this is at great expense in other areas that many of us consider much more important, such as more correct reproduction of instrumental and vocal timbres. Another big difference is that the distortions inherent in the digital realm, even though they are much less than in analog, take place at higher and much more musically objectionable frequencies. Digital processing also simply removes too much information, IMO. The designers justify this by saying that the human ear cannot hear most of the info they are removing, yet research has proven that the brain can still perceive frequencies above what the ear can hear, for example. There is also in digital too much loss of what is sometimes called "low level detail," one example being ambient noise in the concert hall that an orchestral recording was made in, which of course contributes greatly to the effect of the music.

All of these examples above apply much more to acoustic music than electronic, however. If you listen to mostly electronically produced music, then these things probably won't bother you nearly as much as they do others. It's a question of what your priorities are, and only you can really determine that.

Syntax,
You need a PS-X9 with the remote. I finally found one for mine.

Naim gear has long been known for its ability to reproduce music with its original rhythm, energy, and forward momentum intact. Some analog gear (Linn, Rega, Roksan) is also known for this quality. When you said you "still feel like something is missing" when listening to your analog source, my conjecture is that your phono stage, and possibly your turntable/cartridge combination, is lagging in that area. I don't know what dealerships and product lines are available to you locally to audition, but the Dynavector P75 I suggested is widely marketed and is a product that does not mess up the temporal qualities of music. Same with the P3-24, which is most often paired with Rega's own Elys 2 cartridge or with the DV 10X5. I don't know that this is the missing factor for you, of course; it's just my best guess.