Can Digital beat our Analog installations?

09-06-13: Csontos
It already is possible. This topic has been brought up not too long ago. Almarg described how. I don't remember the thread. Search the archives. Or pm Al.

Thanks for the mention, Peter, but it wasn't me.

FWIW, I enjoy both formats, to a greater or lesser degree depending mainly on the quality of the particular recording.

Best regards,
-- Al

09-07-13: Buconero117
Never! The physics of analogue can never be reproduced in the digital mode, no matter what sampling rate is used. Fact, just accept it.

The question raised by the OP was "can Digital beat our Analog installations?"

For that to happen does not require that the physics of analog be precisely reproduced in the digital mode. It just requires that the shortcomings of digital relative to analog, if any, be reduced to the point of inaudibility.

Not sure how that can be declared to be impossible. Not sure how it can even be declared that there are no systems in which it has already been achieved.

Declaring something to be "fact" does not necessarily make it so.

Regards,
-- Al

09-11-13: Czarivey
Even according to Al, I still can only believe that quality of digital reproduction in the mathematical and scientific terms can only "approach" quality of analogue reproduction as close as possible when sampling resolution approaches infinity...

Czarivey, although I understand your point I would respectfully disagree. If you are not already familiar with it, you may want to read up on the Nyquist-Shannon Sampling Theorem. While it only represents an approximation when the length of the sampled waveform and the number of bits per sample are not infinite, it can, at least potentially, be an extremely close approximation for bits per sample and sample rates that are achievable (and arguably that have already been achieved).

... sampling resolution ... can't be any greater potentially [than analog]

It doesn't have to be. The sampling resolution just has to be good enough to reduce sampling artifacts to the point of either being inaudible, or to the point where they are less audibly significant than the many things in analog that are not infinitely perfect either. Including tracking error distortion, offset error, azimuth error, VTA/SRA mismatches, anti-skating, VTF adjustment, cartridge loading effects, and noise and RFI pickup, not to mention less than perfect performance of the cartridge itself, the tonearm, the turntable, the phono cable, and the phono stage.

Regards,
-- Al