How many of you are digital only systems?

I have been trying to get digital to get close to my analog end for a several decades. I have  finally gotten satisfyingly close last year (see my system click on my user ID). So digital is satisfying and I listen to it 90% of the time. However, my digital end is $10K more expensive and the analog side is still more detailed, spacious and open. If I put another $10K into the analog side it would pull ahead significantly. But I am finally real;y happy with both… only took what 40 years? 

It's digital only in the living room (Quobuz, SC card), access to both sources through a Samsung Tablet using the USB Audio Player Pro App (splendide app, btw). The tab is linked to a DAC (USB A to B).

Up in the gallery, it is analog (vinyl, one TT with mono cartridge and another one with stereo cartridge) and digital. Digital access through JRiver Media Center via laptop connected to a DAC via USB A to B. In addition to the laptop, I use a CD Player Pioneer PDR04 and a Marantz SACD Player. And sometimes one of my DAP's linked to the DAC.

Vinyl is my favourite source when sitting down and listening to the music. Standing up after 20 min to turn the record is 'part of the process'. It does not disturb me as on the way to the tt's I will pass the Whisky cabinet.

Several people have commented that each recording medium has its own advantages and disadvantages, so what is the point in replacing your entire music collection every time a new technology is introduced? In particar I have never seen the point of going through the complex and time consuming process of ripping my CDs to create computer files that never sound as good as the original. Why not enjoy each type of recording, analogue and digital, for its own, unique qualities, supplementing them with new recording media as they become available? I still play vinyl records that I bought in the 1960s and 1970s and CDs that have been buying from the 1980s right up until the present day, so in answer to the original question, no I do not have a digital only system and I probably never will.

All digital since the early 2000's.  Gave away my SOTA star sapphire, cleaning unit and LP's and felt much lighter for it.  Nowadays I stream using a dCS streamer directly to active Kii speakers. Happy camper.

My 2 cents: Invest in reclocking  audiophile switches and good isolation for both electronic's and speakers.  Amazing value from Regen switches and centre stage footers from critical mass systems.   Way better than upgrading the electronics.

If you have the patience and space vinyl if setup right can have a special quality to it, nothing wrong with it ,I just feel very good digital is no longer the liability it once was ,and having several settings for tonal balance to match my taste with digital is a +.

Was digital only until about 10 years ago when my dad got me a Project Debut Carbon. I really enjoyed the sound of the TT and since then have substantially upgraded my system including the digital front end. I still prefer the analog particularly after my most recent upgrade to a Brinkmann table. One of the other members said in order to have e the analog be competitive you have to spend 5-8k and inthink that's right. Even when you do that, the digital will have a blacker background, but here's why I like the analog better, it's real. My wife was in the room the other day and commented on how it sounded like the band was in the room, I never get that with digital. I don't get the airy highs and realistic mids with digital. To me it always sounds digital. Just my $.02

Still have turntables and a thousand (or so) lps, but almost never use them…all digital all the time and not looking back…

I stream, play CD's, have hundreds of records and a couple hundred cassettes from the 70's.  I mostly stream or play ripped files the most, then CD's lagging a bit behind and then LP's; I hardly ever play cassettes anymore.  I've been upgrading my total system over the past 4 years after letting it sit for 20 years and the only thing that's left from the 80's is my Technics turntable and Nak cassette deck.  I grab  LP's when I find a treasure trove of used ones but I find I'm not really listening to them much; I've found streaming and playing files to sound better in my system and so much more convenient.  I feel I'd have to spend a substantial amount of money to get my analog portion up to snuff, and I'm not that nostalgic to want to do so.  The thing with albums that's hardly ever mentioned though and what I think distinguishes LPs from the rest are the album covers.  The experience of looking at all sides, trying to find little details that you've never seen before (as well as the printed album sleeves) was something that was never quite the same looking at cassette or CD printed material.

All digital: Zenith MKIII, Denafrips Terminator Plus, Kinki EX-P7, Kinki EX-M7, Focal Sopra 2.

I got into the hobby a few years back and did not have any records. I decided I did not want to engage in a hunt for everything I like to listen to so I decided to go all-in on the digital. I am hoping to add a reclocker at some point.  We have been very happy with the whole experience.

I do want to try a Decware tube amp & open baffle speakers at some point.

All digital streaming Qobuz.

I'm digital only, took a 30 year hiatus from audio after selling my MoFi collection, dont know if memory is serving me well but their SQ was amazing. I stream exclusively now out of convenience and ease of discovery, and am happy with it. Planning upgrades to the router  switch, ethernet, a tube DAC, and supertweeters to add additional midrange warmth and high end sizzle, to hopefully get some of that MoFi like experience back in the music. But no regrets with being all digital.

I spent my teens and 20s trying to reduce clicks and pops, and expand dynamic range. I've since become accustomed to direct access of tracks. Can't go back.

From very early on, decades ago, I sensed that to pursue an analog front end would likely be superior sonically - at least for a while. However, that would impede pursuit of other aspects of the system, chiefly speakers. You’re only getting ahead in one sense when you dump big bucks on an analog setup, and then have to use severely compromised speakers. I should point out that for a long time, up until perhaps 15 years ago, I was a budget audiophile with quite limited resources for the system. Had I been flush with cash for sound, then perhaps I would think differently, or the outcome would have been different. Note how this difficult choice between front end and the rest of the rig is hardly ever conceded, and analog is given a pass in many respects. I’ll not elucidate that here, but my choice was to not dump major dollars into media.

My two-filter criteria (sound and moral rectitude of lyrics) obviously led to a smaller collection of CDs; after 4 decades plus I only have about 700 discs which are never played, but ripped to server. I estimate that I am able to put together a system approx. 2-3x the MSRP than I would have if I had put much money into vinyl. I would NOT be happy to curate a collection of media that largely sat unused, knowing that the system was severely compromised. Also not discussed is the fact that at least for decades, the time that would have been spent shopping for media was available to me for listening. Would I rather spend my time driving, looking through stacks of albums, or listening? That is an easy choice for me - listening! Thus, I am not a Mediaphile, which is a tangential hobby associated with being an audiophile.

Now, I feel vindicated, as first CD players, then transports and DACs, and now solely streamer/servers and DACs I use/review are giving premium sound. No collection to have allocated alternatively and be disappointed, no collection to worry over as it devalues, and only onward and upward on a steep trajectory for digital sound. Example; I have the Stacatto discrete opamps that I am assessing and will do a follow up article for Dagogo.com. It’s such a strange phenomenon that these confer quite a bit of the character of an analog setup in power supply devices for a DAC! Truly, the line between analog and digital has, imo, become so blurred as to be difficult to distinguish, as show goers can attest. One cannot tell at all when approaching a room whether a tape, album or streaming/file is being played.

To the point of some who have said analog takes some money. About 8-10 years ago I was enticed once again by the Ads in the HiFi magazines to try a turntable setup. I went economical to see if I could get far better sound than digital, and digital has come a long way since. It was a waste of my time. I quickly realized that for me, the playback quality was not terrific with a budget table, and I would have to spend LOTS of money to develop a collection. I repented of my error quickly, and though it cost me a few hundred, I reinforced my lifelong habits to stay with developing the rest of the system with an eye toward variety, especially in speakers.
Variety of systems has been the only thing that has brought unwavering satisfaction as a hobbyist. As great of a front end as can be imagined, I would become bored with only one expression of sound, i.e. only panel, omni, horn, dynamic, line source, hybrid, etc. My money went to speakers, and I have been quite content, and feel vindicated more each day.

I worked my long term plan, the Lord blessed me abundantly by bringing reviewing my way and opening access to knowledge and equipment I never would have reached for if not for the privilege. I am SO happy I do not have shelves of albums to concern myself about, or to wonder what could have been if I had not spent so much on them! Collectors will vehemently disagree, which is expected, as they love the chase, the tactile part of it. But, for those just entering the hobby, do not let "Music Lovers" or other pejorative phrases or attitudes sway you to feel the necessity to do analog. The hobby can be tailored to your tates, and phenomenally satisfying sound can be had if you lock in on your preferences for enjoyment. For me it was variety of systems, and I have been able to achieve that more satisfactorily by a narrower approach to the front end of the system.

As none of this is divinely mandated, nor physical law of the universe, YMMV :)

Plinths & platters & clamps & cartridges......tone arms & phono pre's & cabling oh my! I'm all digital.

About two years ago I gave my LP records, about 400 of them, to a relative and focused on going through my CD and SACD collection (currently about 800 discs) and replacing the dogs with the best available mastering. By now, most of the collection has been ripped. When I rip a disc, I measure and record its dynamic range using TT-DR Offline and check it against the online dynamic range database. I own a streamer but use a Denon DCD-A110 SACD-CD player most of the time.

I took this approach based on the following:

1.) The dynamic range of the best-mastered CD’s and SACD’s is essentially equal to that of the best-mastered vinyl. If the DR of the vinyl release exceeds that of the CD/SACD, it’s seldom more than a point, a difference generally considered to be insignificant. Weaker bass is often associated with slightly better DR. This is a key reason why mid-1980s CD’s tend to sound a little thin but often have better DR than later on--they were mastered to sound like the records they replaced. Records were mastered to fit the RIAA curve, suppressing bass sufficiently to keep the needle from jumping out of the groove, especially nearer the center. The trends in recent years--first the loudness wars, then the shift toward mastering recordings for car stereos and earbuds--have not made it easy to find releases with good DR, but it’s still possible.

2.) SACDs and steady improvements in players closed the sound-quality gap vs. vinyl. Nothing that can be said about jitter or light scatter, which are better managed now than twenty years ago, compares to the problems of the RIAA curve, decreasing sound quality as the needle approaches the center of the record, wow and flutter, or the effects of dust, dirt, and wear on the record and the needle.  YMMV.  To each his own.

3.) More recently, advances in the use of interpolation-based algorithms have dramatically improved playback of redbook CDs. I have owned four SACD/CD players: a Marantz SA-8004, a Denon DCD-A100, a Denon DCD-1600NE, and a Denon DCD-A110. Each new one has been a step up from the previous one. Each of the Denon models I have owned came with a new version of the company’s "AL32 Processing," which smooths the jaggies, so to speak, of 16-bit redbook CDs. These improvements have practically closed the gap with SACD.

My DCD-A110 is mated to a pair of fully-restored solid-state Sansui amplifiers--the AU-717 and BA-F1--from 1979. An AU-919 is undergoing restoration at this time. The combination of latest-model player and retro amps works for me.

I have some pretty nice digital stuff, Marantz hd cd-1, Marantz sa8005, audiolab cdt6000, v90 dac, border patrol dac, grace digital streamer, etc. I like the convenience of it all...however, I have way more vinyl and cassettes than anything digital. There is no way I would ever part from my analog rigs....I find it more enjoyable to play analog formats, and at times, it sounds better to my ears. 6 turntables, 10 cartridges, 3 cassette decks....keeping them all. Heck, I still listen to FM radio...you would be surprised how well it can sound with a good antenna (winegard in attic), a quality radio station, and a good tuner. I own 4 tuners....going all in on digital is way too limiting to me...variety is where it’s at, and it’s fun as all heck to have so many options at my disposal to play music. Plus, having a physical media library that is neatly stored and displayed is cool.

Sold all of my analog about25 years ago and went digital. At the time my analog was mostly McIntosh. I went with Nakamichi and enjoyed it for years. Atsome point I got out of audio and stored all of my cd's till about a year ago and started building another system. I decided to go analog again and added a turntable and began buying some of the vinyl I gave up many years ago. Really love the sound of analog especially my jazz albums.

Hello,
I remember buying my first portable Sony CD player back in the early 80s. That thing skipped like crazy. I then went to the Sony 200 CD player and then 400 CD player. I even bought a pair of Advent Heritage speakers that said “CD Ready”right on the box. The salesman told me you had to have CD ready speakers or you would blow the tweeters. What do you want from me. I was 12 or 13 years old. I didn’t get into analog until about three years ago except for cassettes before I was a teenager. I started working when I was 11 so I had money burning a hole in my pocket. My friend let me borrow his TT and his Pink Floyd collection. I loved it. It does not sound as good as the SACD version. I realized to hear really good vinyl you need a $5k-$7k setup. Or a killer SA preamp or a less expensive approach get a tube preamp or tube integrated. There are vinyl albums not on streaming along with some CDs. I am in the same boat. The best sounding phono preamp for the money is the Hegel V10. It does both MM/MC. Especially if you want to go to a cheaper TT. Even if you work your way up to a $3k to $5k TT this Hegel V10 will work great. For $1400 you can get the brand new Sutherland TZ Vibe that does MC only and in my opinion is a lot better on MC than the Hegel due to having a little more weight and detail. Keep in mind it’s MC only. The Sutherland TZ Vibe is like a Micro LOCO. Which the Little LOCO won the bast analog award a few years back. I am having my Linn Axis motor assy rebuilt and get a Hana SL MC cart on it. It has a Sumiko Pearl MM right now. Amazing $100 cart. I also have a Nag MP110 on my AT LP120 table which is also a great cart for a few more bucks. This is the cheapest and best sounding setup I have heard. I have tested all of the Rega and VPI up to the VPI prime signature with a AT 1000 cart. Until they fix the supply chain issues this is as high as I can go. If you live near the Chicagoland area the store I buy my gear from is:
https://holmaudio.com/
They let you try before you buy. They also sell TT and carts in case you want to add analog to your system, fix up your existing TT or try out the two phono preamps I talked about. 

100% digital have no need for the hassle of analog recordings or tubes. Not saying some don't sound great.
 I learned my lesson when I was a kid my records had more pops than Rice Crispies, and My HH Scott receiver would burn tubes like matches. 
If you are not an anal-retentive personality going analog will make you one. "I say I say that's a joke son."    

Although I use SiriusXM in my Buick, when listening to music at home I rely on Vinyl, CD’s and 
cassettes.  I haven’t been bitten by 
streaming music within my audio system. Does streaming music require a fee? 

“Does streaming music require a fee?”

Yes, you pay a monthly fee. For less than a cost of a CD or Vinyl, you have access to unlimited music catalog. 

All digital, all tubes, all the time.

J.Chip

One thing I did not point out, which is well known to digital fans; the veritable, and in many respects literal, world of music available for a relative pittance, that is brought to my room via digital is incomparable. Would anyone disagree that this is a Platinum age of audio simply for that reason? My goodness, the limitless selection and ability to explore as a result of streaming! This variety of music has also kept my zeal going for the longer term.  :) 

It does go against my conservative nature to spend about $200/year for no tangible benefit, no media, no long term retrieval of an asset from money spent on audio. But, you do not get one without the other. For me, the cost is defensible, considering the cost of other hobbies for experiences which also are irretrievable. So, I could have ten albums, or 10,000 "albums" made available to me. It's not a difficult choice for me.  :)

90% vinyl and 10% digital.
Old dog... new tricks...

Sold all my albums and TT a long time ago. Mostly listened to CD and radio  then moved to streaming and have no regrets. Convenient, inexpensive, ability to discover new music, gained shelf space. Sound quality is fantastic with a good service and DAC.

If you miss vinyl they made a device that adds pops and ticks.😁

OP, I have very recent experience to report here.

I "exited the audio scene" years back when CDs were "on the way out" and streaming meant lossy formats, in which I had no interest. My system at the time: Linn Genki (CD) / Kolektor (pre-amp)/ AV 5105 (amp) / AV 5140 (speakers) / K600 cables -- Passive, not Aktiv--purchased circa 2008.

The system sounded great, but I got married, had a son, and got busy at work. Then, after about 4 years, divorce hit (never thought it would happen to ME), and all my "things" were in disarray for quite some time. Some of you may be able to relate.

When I finally got around to putting everything back together, some repairs were required. This was not straightforward due to the age of the components affected. It was at this point that I hunted down my local Linn dealer, who had been out of business for some time, but had recently resurfaced with a new name/location. Thank. Goodness.

He patiently brought me up to date in my understandings, which pretty much dated to 2008. Among other good news, I learned that lossless streaming was a serious reality and that, in his opinion, Linn had not made a better speaker than my 5140s since then. As I had concluded in 2008, I found that (for me) the vinyl proposition was still not a way I wanted to go from a simple cost/benefit analysis, including the hassle factor. Don’t get me wrong--as an engineering mechanics practitioner, I am very much drawn to the beauty of the mechanics of turntables. I just do not want to put my money and research effort there right now.

My dealer introduced me to the wonderful world of Qobus and Roon and just finished ripping all my CDs (about 600 of them) for $2 apiece (worth it to me, without a second thought), and they will soon be a part of my Roon experience, along with Qobus. Many important (to me) recordings are missing from the Qobus library (Telarc efforts--primarily Michael Murray (organ) and Robert Shaw (choral) being chiefest among them), though what they do have is mind-boggling. My ripped CD collection will therefore fill an important niche.

My new system: Roon Nucleus, Linn Akurate Hub, Linn Akurate Exaktbox-i, and my original AV 5140s and K600, now active via Exakt.  The removed crossovers (AKA "energy sinks") sit on my audio cabinet waiting for me to put them somewhere else.  Interesting conversation pieces, those.  The sonic upgrade from the previous system is significant, and I can run everything from my iPad, with a fantastic (IMHO) user interface. So I am almost as "digital" as a system can be. There are no analog interconnects, because the Hub x Exaktbox-i interface is digital via Ethernet cable. So my only analog cabling is the K600 running between the Exaktbox-i and my speakers. Now each conductor pair is carrying a tailor-made signal for the destination driver (woofer, mid, tweeter). My heart loves the sound, and my brain loves the signal path. I feel very fortunate to have a pair of AV 5140s.

I am not a "tinkering" audiophile--I get a system to where it does what I want, how I want, and then enjoy it and move on to tackling other projects. I think my ears are above average, and I am extremely happy (perhaps "giddy" is not an overstatement) with this system.

That is where I am today and where I expect to be for several years, God willing. YMMV.

It's all about enjoying the music and discovering new things. 

Not about the technicalities of how you got there. 

Haven't listened to vinyl since the hippy days
It was on my Mother's GE console that she gave me that had a built-in turn table
Years later, married kids work etc anyway my friend was selling his Marantz 2265B and Teac cassette player with Cerwin Vega speakers Had that beginner system for a good while Then CD came out and now streaming I've always heard that vinyl was top tier when it comes to music reproduction, but for what ever reason never
went down the vinyl path. Heck l now find it a chore to put a CD in the player!! Now were did l put my phone as l want to listen to some streaming music? Honey can you bring me a beer?

100% digital here, streaming and CD.  Had that funny feeling in my gut about a year ago and started to look into a "good" analog rig.  Figured it would be about $10-12k all in.  Not including vinyl costs.  

Then I used some very bad language and decided to take that dough and
tear out the music room completely (down to studs) and rebuild everything.  Was a good decision for me. Very happy.

I do have a Teac rtr that is near and dear to me and a few tapes, I do believe it would need a rebuild.  May happen...but last on the list.

Regards,
barts
 

To answer the last OP question, outside of a few (not all) direct to disc recordings,  NO, you are missing" nada.
And these recordings are mostly available digitally. Just lift the "extra processing veil" with your imagination. Often they still sound better by bypassing tape and post production.

I run digital streaming, turntable, cd player, and cassette deck, and fm tuner. I would never want to limit my access to music in any way. Yes some sound better than others but at the end of the day it is about the music anyway I can get it!

@lalitk 

there are tons of no cost streaming services out there. You just have to put up with a few commercials. Nothing is free even if jo and the ho say so!  

I haven’t used my CD player in 3 years after buying my BlueSound Node 2i.

@sgreg1,

Sure there are tons of no cost streaming services….I am a firm believer in quality over quantity. That’s why I’ve chosen Qobuz streaming service which in my opinion offers the best high resolution content.

@lalitk 

I too run Qobuz and love it. Just wanted to make sure they were aware of the other options. I love Austin Blues Radio stream and get in the HD radio app very good quality. Enjoy the music and have a great day.

100% digital, uncompressed files played off music server PC, all on a solid state drive.

I have decided to upgrade my digital end going forward and not invest any more resources into vinyl.  I love vinyl and the ritual of listening to it but realize that over the past few years my listening habits are skewed to 95% digital streaming. I also haven't listened to a cd in ages as well-even though I probably have a thousand of them.

Was all vinyl till 1990. Bought a CD player at that time. 2010 went all digital, though still have a TT. Just not using it. Use streaming to identify new music which I purchase on CD. Looking to purchase a streamer for my main system. 

Once all my favorite LPS were available on CD I jumped to that medium. Handed down the LPS to my younger brother.

Nowadays; I rip my CDs to FLAC and stream via Roon, supplemented by Qobuz . I store multiple copies of my digital collection and give away the source CDs. 

My move to digital had nothing to do with SQ, I just couldn't take all the faffing around and ritualism that is analog. 

I have a great digital front end Esoteric 03XD but an equally great turntable TW Acustic AC 3 with Tw 10.5 tonearm I enjoy both equally well.

richtruss,

     What is a "faff"?

Thanks,
Tim

I think it's an Otis Redding song.

One of three of my sources is analog (tt), but I enjoy all of them cause all of them have their pluses and minuses and no dogmatic approach to it cause for example some LP albums r sound much better than their digital version and some albums r better on CDs or streaming. So please let it be. All sources r good and we just need to optimise, clarify and detail the tract whatever it digital or analog. 

I am 100% streaming (Tidal and Qobuz via Roon).  I think digital/streaming is even more complex than analog.  Software, hardware, jitter control, Ethernet/WiFi, DACs, power supplies, all these can be optimized for best digital sound.  I’m glad I found a server expert, Lucas Audio Labs, who takes care of all the details remotely.  If I were putting it all together, I’d be lost.

I recently went digital sort of. You see, I only listen to 78s because “if you can’t see the groove the music cannot move.” The modern micro groove LP miniaturized the sound, shrunk it down to a tiny facsimile. Not for me. 
But now I’m going deaf. So I had to invest $20000 in these amazing digital ear horns from India, the Rama Dama Ding Dong Gupta Ones. They are amazing! Their internal miniaturized DAC uses 24 bit 192 kHz delta sigma gamma omega curry chips made exclusively by Hrundi Bakshi Industries of Calcutta. So though my source is analogue my listening is digital. Rudy Valee never sounded so good.😋

Like others here, I too have gone to an all digital source.  Mojo server through which I mostly stream Tidal via Roon, but I also like the ability of having my CDs on a SS hard drive in the server so I can access music that is not included in Tidal's library.  

Mutated last Christmas. Not looking back.

OP:
"Am I missing something truly special in the audio world if I’m all digital?"
Yes.

One reason to have the ability to play the format vinyl is that there is albums that never got released in a digital format. So if you want to hear it you need a TT. So that is a "truly special" reason. But as understandable it is mostly true for "little bit older" releases. 🥳👍

Think of some obscure local bands that gave out albums that was gone later on when digitalization were on it's way. Also recordings of historical events when they were were performed (war, royal weddings, moon, comedy and others).

It is easier to know that version you are listening to and from were it come from. And you have the possibility of compare with an earlier release that is on vinyl.

You truly miss out to nerd 🤓 into and waste a lot of time and money. It is a rabbit hole or a nice hobby depending on how you see it and what you want out of it.

 Almost totally digital...Well my low fi. Ish Phillips 212 turntable died in the late 1990' s....got a minidisc ....that died in 2005.....sold most of my albums in 2015, and just this week got the last 30 of them ready to sell.I guess realizing that I will never have a turntable again, plus the fact that of those 30 impossible to replace records....all but 3 are on Spotify has just freed me of the burden of hanging on to my last albums.Now I have to let go ( or recreate) my 40 years of cassette mix tapes!!!!

I own both, I listen to 98% streaming

If I were just starting this hobby I wouldn't invest in any physical media - records or CDs

Hard for me to ignore the benefits of streaming price performance, bang for the buck, convenience, mobility and the vast libraries of available hi-res content including new releases

It helps to have an audiophile grade network as your transport