Both CD and LP are capable of extraordinary performance. And attheir best, they sound very much more alike than different.
@cleeds - thank you for that perfect voice of reason. You are absolutely right. The mastering is not a factor - I work with mastering engineers and when they are mastering they don’t master significantly differently between the two formats.
So then the format you prefer comes down to other questions:
- the nostalgia value you place on vinyl
- the value you place on the convenience of CD
- whether you are bothered by inevitable vinyl crackles
- the joy you feel on the ritual of playing vinyl
- the pleasure you get from messing with the more HiFi ’bits’ aspect of vinyl: the choice of deck, arm, cartridge, phono amp, playing with alignment, isolation and the rest. CD is generally a one box decision (and isolation, though that’s not as significant as with a record deck).
- the breadth and value of CD catalogue vs vinyl
- the storage differences and your personal preferences
but then when we move into the world of digital storage, streaming and playback and a whole new can of worms is opened. This makes the component options for vinyl feel like a walk in the park.
