A very good ENGINEERING explanation of why analog can not be as good as digital..

This is a fundamental treatise on the subject, but does not get into the weeds, where the real differences are.

First of all, the title is misleading. It is a comparison of CD-quality playback to vinyl playback, not analog to digital.

Secondly, even with the RIAA curve, the vinyl record cannot match the dynamic capability of an uncompressed digital format at high or low frequencies. It also cannot match the HF extension possible with hi-res digital, well beyond audibility. These beyond audibility sounds add a lot of live ambience to the music. Jut add a supertweeter to your system to experience this.

Finally, citing studies that are decades old to say that people cannot hear the difference is not very useful. I would suggest that 90% of people can tell the difference between a well-recorded hi-res track played on a resolving digital system compared to the same track played from vinyl. Even on 7.5 IPS tape you can hear the difference. They may like the "smoothness" of the vinyl track, but closing their eyes will show that it is not live. The digital track has a much higher probability of recreating the live event IME.

However, there are a lot of digital-unique things that prevent this kind of reproduction in typical digital systems, including:

1) Jitter

2) Digital Filtering

3) DAC analog and I/V design

4) D/A chip

5) CODEC and playback software

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

If we all had master tapes of the music we like and professional reel-to-reel decks, then analog would be king.  It's actually a lot cheaper and more convenient to do really good digital.  Every bit as good.  The master tapes are used to create the digital tracks after all.

I'm talking about Ethernet renderer with really low jitter driven by good software: Linn Kinsky/Minimserver/BubbleUPnP, using good cabling.

Those still trying to get the ultimate SQ from USB or a transport need not apply.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

The best quality digital doesn't go through a codec.

There is always a CODEC in the playback software.

Steve N.

It’s a common misnomer that digital has "steps." To be fair, it seems intuitive that it does. But it doesn’t, as proven here. And analog has limited resolution, too - just as with digital.

It is certainly not proven with this youtube.  Digital is sampled, not continuous.  The reproduction accuracy with digital is a function of the sample-rate and filtering to "smooth" those steps.  Any NOS D/A chip will output these stair-steps and requires filtering to eliminate them.  If you disable or raise the frequency of the digital filtering from any Delta-Sigma D/A chip, it will have these stair-steps.  I have seen it on my scope.

There most certainly is a Nyquist theorem. A fairly good explanation of it is here.

The Nyquist theorem is true and often cited, however, it makes some assumptions such as the waveform is continuous and not transient.  Transient waveforms cause the Nyquist theorem to break-down.

Not that it doesn't apply, but the sample rate required to get an accurate transient reproduced is much higher that Nyquist would predict.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

How did Sony management in the early 80s judge or determine who can hear what? Did they have a bevy of audiophiles on staff? I suspect it’s more likely the Redbook CD committee decided on 16/44 based on technical considerations and constraints only.

Sony and the IEC missed the boat on the importance of jitter however.  It turned-out to be much more important than they thought.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

Digital waveforms are continuous, but with a lot of spurious information in the highest frequencies.... and due to the way they are made, they may have artifacts which in particular, create a kind of annoying treble.

Nonsense. If there is anything fatiguing about digital, it is due to jitter, poor digital filtering or software artifacts.  All of these can be eliminated with the right digital interfaces, playback software and a quality DAC with minimized effects of digital filtering.  You have just listened to the wrong equipment.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

They also missed the boat on putting the CD into a cartridge.  Instead it is handled and scratched.  Same with the DVD and Blu-Ray.  Poorly engineered.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

I have the Keith Jarrett piano live performance.  Sounds live on my Ethernet driven DAC system.  More live than anything I have heard at ANY tradeshow or showroom.  Most exhibitors shy away from playing piano in their rooms because they know it will show all of their system warts.  I play piano recordings at every show.

It also sounds live played on my Oppo with the Synchro-Mesh reclocking it.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio