Vinyl for Digitally Recorded Music - ?

Because your analog playback chain may be superior to your digital playback chain

In most cases with the LP, you are getting an analog of the original resolution, almost always 24-bit dynamic resolution with sampling rate ranging from 88.2 to 192 Khz. The D-to-A conversion is also usually done on pro-level equipment. With a CD of that recording, the playback resolution has been reduced to 16/44.1, or about 1/4 of the original data.

It's true that my very best LPs were recorded in analog with an unmatched lushness and ampbience, but several of my recent digitally-recorded LPs sound very good as well, such as James Taylor's "Covers" album, McCartney's "Memory Almost Full," and Charlie Haden's "Ramblin' Boy."

I have a modest LP rig at about $1K total-- Technics SL1210 with vibration/resonance controlling aftermarket tweaks and Audio Technica AT150MLX playing into a Cambridge 640P. This deck consistently plays back digitally recorded or remastered LPs with more warmth and liveliness than the CDs of the same. I'll take playback sourced directly from 24/96 over something dithered down to 16/44.1 any time.

What would be a much closer comparison would be a well-done digitally recorded LP vs. the 24/96 digital masters available directly from vendors such as HDTracks.

If you start with a super quality digital master converted to analog at the studio then press to a high quality LP, it's closer to the master than current silver discs.

I've posted on this topic countless times, I wish Sony - Phillips would pull out all the stops with a new digital format disc, maximum resolution without bandwidth limits, even if necessary to go Blue Ray format to hold all the data.

As for your comment that you are disappointed with digital master LPs, that does not match up with my experience.

A LOT of what has been released in recent time is from a digital master, most studios switched out long ago. Some of these recordings are superb.

If you really want to get angry with formats we're offered, get your hands on a few studio master dubs and play them on pro machine. It's a real eye opener.

Johnnyb53 posted while I was composing my response. Seems we are thinking the same thing.