This is just an invitation for argument but I’ll bite: yes.
Remember that digital is in its infancy. 35 years after the development of the record we were still recording into tin horns.
now, "CD", as in a plastic disk with pits integrated with an onboard, typically simple DAC, would not be my choice. I learned early that ripping my CDs to disk (FLAC) and playing them through the same DAC was consistently superior.
There are ton of terrible CDs and digital recordings out there. But there are also tons of terrible pressings. Listen to old Blue Note, Verve and Mercury masters to CD and you can hear the potential - and this folks, is only 16/44k.
I am putting aside the fact that some people may like euphonic colorations from both some turntables and from some tubes. nothing wrong with this since that’s also what sounding boards on Pianos and violins do....
While i have 3 esoteric turntables (the least good being an LP12/Ittok/Troika), i rarely listen to anything except Tidal at this point - and its superb.
I'll note that most people who hear my system flatly state that they didn't know digital could sound like that. And while i have significant money in it, its far, far from top drawer (in terms of price anyway). I also modify much of it, building my own phase-locked-loops and power supplies, both of which matter greatly (although the best timing systems available today need no external help)
Remember that digital is in its infancy. 35 years after the development of the record we were still recording into tin horns.
now, "CD", as in a plastic disk with pits integrated with an onboard, typically simple DAC, would not be my choice. I learned early that ripping my CDs to disk (FLAC) and playing them through the same DAC was consistently superior.
There are ton of terrible CDs and digital recordings out there. But there are also tons of terrible pressings. Listen to old Blue Note, Verve and Mercury masters to CD and you can hear the potential - and this folks, is only 16/44k.
I am putting aside the fact that some people may like euphonic colorations from both some turntables and from some tubes. nothing wrong with this since that’s also what sounding boards on Pianos and violins do....
While i have 3 esoteric turntables (the least good being an LP12/Ittok/Troika), i rarely listen to anything except Tidal at this point - and its superb.
I'll note that most people who hear my system flatly state that they didn't know digital could sound like that. And while i have significant money in it, its far, far from top drawer (in terms of price anyway). I also modify much of it, building my own phase-locked-loops and power supplies, both of which matter greatly (although the best timing systems available today need no external help)