Has anyone been able to define well or measure differences between vinyl and digital?

we are wired to appreciate sound based on our memories of the sound we grew up on.

It may be what resembles it, perfects it or what the total opposite is but in either case, it's still our baseline. Most of the characteristics is in our head: what it evokes, what we think it is vs. what it does sound like.

To me vinyl is raw, unfiltered, imperfect, "authentic" which translates to dynamic, lively, bold  and  forward. The key is that I like that sound. 

Digital (unless tweaked) goes for the opposite: neutral and processed. For a lot of productions, I prefer that, e.g. when the recording was a mess, tiring after a few seconds, I need the digital fix.

@cleeds 

What makes you think that?

overanalyzing everything.

@mahler123 

even if the source was digitized, the vinyl will be analog. It will be different but still analog. 

Analog is not always or sometimes better. It's always different. I have 2 or 3 copies of my favorite LPs and CDs, Each LP sounds very different. CDs not so much. Vinyl to me is the shortest distance between the source and the speaker - processing-wise

@dsnyder0cnn

you are correct, I thought of that afterwards.

I should have said "from the finished product"

I can also add, the whole vinyl pressing process doesn't fix, alter, improve, up or down sample the grooves

I don’t think $10K can get you there

nothing will, for some