Worth pursuing analog sound from digital?

jperry,

Not everyone likes to hear ticks and pops that have long plagued the vinyl playback. Not to mention, complicated setup and care required to play a darn LP.

Can you replay that song you just heard without getting up from your throne 😉

Can digital "be as good as analog?"

I think that's in the ears of the beholder. I love vinyl. I love digital. For me it's not an either or proposition. 

In many ways, my MHDT Labs r2r Orchid DAC streaming Qobuz sounds better than my turntable, a Clearaudio Emotion with a Hana SL and Parks Puffin phono stage. That's over $2K of analog gear vs $1200 of digital gear. I bought the Orchid used, so paid less.

No clicks, no pops, no background noise, no fatigue, no glare, more detail, greater ease of use, and an almost infinite selection of music. 

Does the Orchid sound as "analog" as analog? Uh, no. Better? Decidedly so. 

I still like spinning records and with a good pressing, those sound great also. 

I don't feel a need to choose one over the other. 

@big_greg,

Great post, the world needs open minded people like you. At the end of day, music matters the most not the source.

Thanks for replies. I wanted the perspective of an analog lover which is why I posted here. It sounds like I have plenty of room for improvements but maybe it's unrealistic to get digital to sound just like analog. Each has it's own merits and I will just have to accept it. Will try various tweaks and see what I can achieve without going overboard. Happy listening!

I’m a confirmed vinyl guy. Two turntables, three tonearms, more cartridges than I can remember. I’m also in my 60s and been collecting records since the early ’70s. But I’m here to tell you, vinyl takes a lot of commitment, with a pretty steep learning curve, before it sounds truly great. Don;t get me wrong: I love every aspect of spinning LPs. But still.

I also have two systems that are digital only, with one dedicated to streaming Tidal. If I were starting over today, I might just go with Tidal. Sounds pretty fantastic, and you can put together a dynamite system for very little outlay, relatively speaking. Neat, clean, small footprint with no media taking up space. Constant churn of new music to explore. It’s a game changer.