Ultimate Sinatra: Digital Beats Analog

What format or service?

I streamed it from Qobuz, and then purchased and downloaded the flac file.

Sounds like a good remastering job plain and simple of which there are many. Lots possible these days with digital remastering to bring things to life when needed. It’s the best time ever to be an "audiophile". Endless possibilities. Nothing stopping a particular streaming service to do as they please in regards to making their source material sound better than the competition, beyond just the pure resolution of the service provided. With digital, anything is possible...good or bad.

Ordinarily you would be wrong. But the way you phrased it, no. You are right. In this case digital seems to beat analog.

In this case you compared some pretty good digital to some crap who knows what vinyl. Come over and hear my Sinatra-Basie, your skin will tingle, your jaw will drop, and you will shake your head in disbelief that anyone anywhere ever thought digital comes even close to analog.

In your case though....

Qobuz is outstanding...lots of great sounding recordings. No need to go anywhere...hell you don’t even have to get up from your sweet spot :-)

Enjoy! 

Hey, millercarbon, I just spotted the Sinatra-Basie record on my album shelf. On Reprise. It's too late in the evening to put it on, but tomorrow I'll see how it compares soundwise to Sinatra's earlier Capitol Records period.

millercarbon -- I got it on the 'table now. Excellent fidelity.  A studio recording no question, but a skillful one. Spacious soundstage. Brass, percussion, strings and piano have veracity & punch. Maybe a smidgeon of edge from Frankie's vocal mike but it only adds to the fun.