Digital Support

>Leaving aside the playback system problems, ticks, pops,
>tracking errors, etc., what does analog recording and
>playback leave out that was there in the first place?

What does digital recording leave out that was there in the first place?

That's okay, your answer was pretty much what I was expecting. Unfortunately, saying that digital is inferior to analog because it inherently loses much of the original signal is like saying the earth is flat because otherwise people on the other side would fall off--it's theoretically and demonstrably untrue. Unless you're prepared to refute digital sampling theory, I would recommend that you avoid this approach.

Also, I think your Star Trek transporter analogy is flawed, as matter is generally seen as being composed of discrete particles anyway, while a waveform is continuous. I think a better analogy would be that of a camera filming an object in motion, with the number of frames per second analogous to the sampling frequency.

Personally, I do think that digital technology in general is superior to analog in terms of offering the best chance of accurately reproducing the original signal. However I also think that a legitimate case can be made that the current 16-bit/44.1-kHz CD standard may offer room for improvement.

My preference is for a recording/playback system that is as faithful to the original signal as possible. If others prefer a system that adds "warmth," that's fine too, but it's a different preference. In any case, I don't think anything is accomplished by "this technology sounds better than that technology"-type arguments.

>...your reply snidely misinterpreted my lack of interest

You seem to have misinterpreted my post, not the other way around. My reply had nothing whatsoever to do with the "Sedond issue"--which I know nothing about--and was simply (and obviously I thought) a response to your answer to my question about digital recording. That you choose to interpret it otherwise is telling.

Ken, I have no idea who Paulwp is and have never had any discussions with him before. Given his completely unwarranted responses above, I won't be discussing *anything* further with him--in public or private!

I think I generally agree with your understanding of the current CD encoding technology, although I think you might be overstating its limitations. To be fair, there are many who would point out that the limitations in analog encoding/playback are greater.

I agree, it certainly becomes a more complicated issue when trying to compare analog and digital sources, as there are so many other variables involved in the extraction/playback process (unless one has access to the master tapes). Ironically, I think some of the complaints about "digital sound" expressed by many people may be due to the less-than-ideal *analog* circuitry that is/was used in even some high-end digital recording/playback equipment.

Of course I can't say what differences you are hearing in the systems you've listened to, although I don't think the RIAA equalization of LPs is likely to be a factor (if done properly). Perhaps you are reacting to euphonic colorations that are common in vinyl/analog playback systems? I can't say my experience with vinyl has been as positive, but again, we may be listening for different things.