@atmasphere and anyone else who might know. You mentioned when you were cutting LPs:
digital release files are compressed since there is an expectation they will be played in a car
Is this still true today, especially for modern high resolution digital files, for instance those that are offered on hdtracks or on SACD? I know most modern pop music still doesn’t have high dynamic range, even when pressed to vinyl, but there are still a number of productions across genres that strive to preserve the integrity of this range.
If what @mceljo is saying is true about SACDs having greater dynamic range than vinyl (which seems plausible), and say the digital playback chain (clocking, DAC’s digital chip and digital implementation, the DAC’s analog stage, low noise, etc) is of a reference quality, then this would mean that there really is no benefit to playing the vinyl version of same mastering regardless of how great the pressing quality is, unless the listener prefers how their cartridge and phono stage sounds over their DAC or “prefer the distortion characteristics built in to record playback that are pleasing” as @jallan says, right?
Under these specific circumstances, there is really no possible benefit to the vinyl? Or am I missing other variables to consider?
I’m not trying to argue this in a “one is better than the other” manner, but just trying to understand the full picture for consideration. Thanks.