Sometimes, but it all depends upon the recording.
I once heard a basic Pro-Ject deck (way under $700) playing an Elvis LP totally outperform a Sony ES CD player playing back the same songs. The CD sounded flat and restrained, whilst the LP had punch and drive.
I must also add that it wasn’t a case of like for like because the LP and CD were different compilations. I don’t know if it’s just me but Elvis on CD has always tended to sound a little too polite whereas on the other hand The Smiths on CD can sound at least as good the vinyl releases. Louder Than Bombs sounded great on CD.
Mastering matters more than format in many cases as I don’t think any CD player at any price would have matched the vinyl cut in that example, not with that CD.
I’m guessing that since albums recorded before 1980 were cut with vinyl in mind, their later CD counterparts are always going to be nothing more or nothing less than digital interpretations of the originals according to the mastering engineer responsible.
Similarly most recordings after 1990 would have been mastered for Compact Disc, so any vinyl issues would again be mastering interpretations of the original digital recording.
This makes it very difficult to compare like for like when it comes to comparing vinyl and digital recordings as you’re not only hearing different formats but different masterings too.
I once heard a basic Pro-Ject deck (way under $700) playing an Elvis LP totally outperform a Sony ES CD player playing back the same songs. The CD sounded flat and restrained, whilst the LP had punch and drive.
I must also add that it wasn’t a case of like for like because the LP and CD were different compilations. I don’t know if it’s just me but Elvis on CD has always tended to sound a little too polite whereas on the other hand The Smiths on CD can sound at least as good the vinyl releases. Louder Than Bombs sounded great on CD.
Mastering matters more than format in many cases as I don’t think any CD player at any price would have matched the vinyl cut in that example, not with that CD.
I’m guessing that since albums recorded before 1980 were cut with vinyl in mind, their later CD counterparts are always going to be nothing more or nothing less than digital interpretations of the originals according to the mastering engineer responsible.
Similarly most recordings after 1990 would have been mastered for Compact Disc, so any vinyl issues would again be mastering interpretations of the original digital recording.
This makes it very difficult to compare like for like when it comes to comparing vinyl and digital recordings as you’re not only hearing different formats but different masterings too.