When does analog compete with digital?

Try not to worry about such things. Establish a realistic budget for analogue. Investigate, read reviews and search forums on personal opinions and advice. BUT! be very careful entrusting completely in what others from so called experts and those who are not may say. Gather a list of products that fit inside your budget. Study each and try to weed out the chaff from the wheat so to speak. Then you will be able to make better buying decisions. Once you then buy and carefully set up the analogue products you need, JUST ENJOY!

In time as your future tastes and budget evolve you can as per this hobby swap out other gear if you wish.

You can get great analogue playback if you are wise with buying for even under $1,000 total purchase, new or used turntable, cartridge and phono preamp. Even at this it may provide you enjoyable analogue playback that could have your CD player collecting some dust. That said I learned a few years ago to move away from being anti-digital. I got tired of the crap many say about it on audio forums. Even though most of the time my analogue records sound better or best to me I have a nice and still very modest digital setup, basically now a Oppo BDP-83 and have enjoyed playing well produced CD's too. It is just that too many CD's made over the last 10+ years suck in terms of mastering and production quality. But don't think every vinyl record you buy was well mastered and produced either, some SUCK BIG TIME TOO!

Define High End Sound?

One can't, it's all subjective and based on too many variables. Those who spend a lot of money buying what they deem as high end sound talk as they do to justify the purchase, to others why? If spending mega bucks makes you happy then so be it. If you spend food money, medical expenses money, mortgage/rent money doing so then you are an idiot.

There is no true definition of high end sound and price paid does not guarantee this stuff sounding good to great. It's all subjective. Put a $100,000 TT with $50,000 preamp and $50,000 power amp driving $100,000 speakers in a lousy room and it will sound lousy. Put a $10,000 system in a well thought out and properly furnished room and it may sound great even dare I say high end.

Too many so called golden ears (NOT!) audiophiles like to deride other person's gear without even hearing it. Silly I say.

The discussion is in my point of view, can one get quality analogue sound without spending mega bucks? YES! in a subjective world with all its variables one can get great analogue sound if they put it togethe with good assembly of gear even modestly priced gear. There is no reason to try to compare what analogue gear to what digital gear. Invest well your discretionary money to building one or both to sound good to you.

The height of arrogance combined with ignorance is often spoken by those who say they are audiophiles and want to impress others with mega buck systems. To that I say just enjoy your gear, you do not need to justify it to any of us, nor do you need to try and run down more modestly priced gear. You have no clue as to how good even a modest system using competent gear may sound without hearing said system in a room.

In this hobby you spend money on a system, it can be digital and/or analogue, a lot of $$$ or fewer $$$ and in the end if you are a hobbyist you will try to build a system that makes you happy be you spending a lot of $$$ or fewer $$$. THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS!

Michael Fremer himself a man who is a huge proponent of quality analogue playback states that one can get great analogue playback by even buying a good new starter table for around $350 with included cartridge.

Add a decent phono preamp and you get excellent. Maybe step up for a few $$$ more a better cartridge and you're set on your way in this hobby for a few $$$. How does it compare to quality digital sound? Who knows? It's all subjective. But IMO my most enjoyable playback experiences come from good vinyl discs playing back on my system.