I prefer both really. As others have said both have their strengths and weaknesses. LPs sound excellent overall, and noticeably better imo, but the occasional loud pops annoy me. On my rig, records play pretty quiet overall. There's more variables with vinyl playback as well. CDs can sound very good too, but half of them sound "canned." That's the drawback, imo. My cd player (Onkyo DX-7555-now out of production,) though inexpensive in relation to high end players, measures well and has low jitter as well as a high s/n ratio. So it's probably not the player at fault here. Also, channel balance seems more stable with cd as well. But, man does that vinyl sound sweet and seductive! Despite the technical flaws!
What is your preference, Records or CDs?
I'm no expert on turntables but I believe my Quadraflex reference direct drive turntable is doing a fine job delivering an excellent sound. I have had some friends come over and they thought I was playing a CD. I'm not sure if this is a compliment. I love playing records and constantly seek them out. I know that some upcoming artists have even chosen to record their music on records and obvious it is not a dying media. I have seen some pretty exotic turntable designs on audiogon and my question is what to look for or what is important about it's design.