CD v.s LP - When comming from the same MASTER

Apart from the theoretical arguments about whether or not LP's mastered from digital sources sound better than CD's from the same sources, as a pratical matter, even if you have the "best" playback systems made, you have certainly set it the parameters for your "best". The variables available in turntables, IC's, cartridges, motors, power supplys, etc, far outstrip the variables in digital playback. Based on that conclusion, it is totally reasonable to me that Mr Porter would be able to tune his analog system to sound "better" than CD's, without regard to the software issues involved.

I agree with AROC, once it goes to CD medium which is limited to 16/44.1, something is lost in the mix.

While it is true that the entire 24/96 digital master would not be fully transferred to the analog master, I would argue that the lost is not as significant in the analog domain.

I have a couple of digitally recorded classical LPs, which actually sound better than the analog recordings of that period, but when transferred to CD, sound lifeless. Whereas the LP version is a completely different story.

The sense of continuity in the music is better preserved in analog, whereas down sampling corrupts this flow and the music becomes disjointed.

In my system:

Sarah McLachlan Afterglow sounds ***much*** better on LP
Radiohead OK Computer sounds better on CD