My Analog Journey - Opinions Sought

I have a very nice vinyl setup, Technics SP10 MkII, complete rebuild, 100lb custom plinth on Steelpoints, sits on  100lb component stand, Jelco TK-850L (knife edge bearing, 12"L), Korf ceramic headshell, Audio Technica ART9XA cartridge, Zavfino Gold Rush tonearm cable, Thoress phono stage. Grew up with vinyl, have over 3k albums, historically vinyl was my gold standard for sound quality. Started streaming aprox. 10 years ago, went through a number of streamers, interface and network equipment over those years to the point where I've optimized streaming such that sound quality is competitive with ripped cd's (over 3.5k) and my vinyl setup. Not saying vinyl and digital have exact same sound qualities but my digital doesn't have the digital artifacts that set it apart from my vinyl. Not difficult to get the resolution/transparency with digital, hard part is getting presentation correct, clocking  is critical throughout the entire chain, timing errors are the cause of much of those digital artifacts.

Bottom line is both my digital and vinyl fully immersive, each completely satisfies both the music lover and audiophile in myself. Digital and streaming has improved a great deal in recent years, no need to put up with digital artifacts, optimizing every single link in digital and/or streaming chain required to get there.

In regard to keeping both vinyl and digital setups. If I didn't have a large number of albums I'd give up the vinyl. Having to provision funds for both vinyl and digital setups means I've had to forego some upgrades in the past. With only a single format one can use all their audiophile funds on the one format. At this point in digital and streaming development it can provide everything a music lover and audiophile seeks.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. As expected, there are three points of view: Analogue > Digital, Digital > Analogue & Digital = Analogue .  As always, the devil-is-in-the-details.  Which Vinyl and which Digital are key, along with the equipment, cables, etc.

I enjoy both formats, yet have a clear preference >>>

I recently had the opportunity to spend two days at the 2024 CAF show and discovered that I could easily walk down the halls and identify which rooms were playing a digital source and which rooms were playing an analogue source.  The sonic signatures are so obvious that I encourage everyone to give it a try... It was very reassuring to discover that my hearing was still sensitive to the SQ of both.

With that being said, to my ear I always preferred the SQ of the analogue systems (vinyl or tape).  It was a 'no contest' verdict.  A great digital source (CDs for me) is very enjoyable (and convenient), with great 'meat on the bones' sound, but a great analogue source provides more harmonic structure and sonic micro-dynamics.  In these many years only a ~$150k dCS based system has fooled me.  Until I can afford that level of digital, I remain in the Analogue Camp. 

Happy listening to everyone,

One thing I find interesting and is a pretty consistent theme on these types of threads/subjects, many of the indiv getting out of vinyl are the ones that have been at it for decades and decades. I suppose the whole ritual and $ looses its appeal to convenience after some time?

Not at all criticizing that if that’s the case. Just interesting to see how many are getting out of it and how many are entering it are - again just a perception.

Personally, I have spent all my energy on room, setup, learning the dig side of things etc…one day something sparked my TT interest (not for wishing to better my dig or due to being bored with dig, far from it) just the mechanical / physical aspect of it. The more I researched it (and have fantastic friends/resource with vinyl experience) I thought hmmm that would be cool to add another format/ method to my rig. Thats where I’m at currently.

The one obvious thing about considering a vinyl rig is the $. For me to add this medium is finding the right balance of not too cheap and not too $ with regard to SQ. Not trying to match my dig side but just getting something that’s fun and enjoyable. I have no expectations of surpassing my dig

I will be buying vinyl lps and cds....until I go to heaven....the end.

@limomangus 

Same, except just vinyl LPs for me.