Just a comment to point out that there is a BIG difference between comparing a LP against the commercial CD or hi-rez release versus comparing the LP against a digital copy of the LP made using your own equipment.
Anyone who has ever looked into what it takes to make a LP will understand why vinyl playback can be so unique. First, the RIAA curve used when cutting the LP has a 40 dB swing from bass to treble. This curve must be matched exactly on an inverse mirror image basis for playback. Second, phono cartridges are a mechanical device that have just as much variability as speakers. When was the last time anyone thought two different brands of speakers sounded identical? Add to that the unique technical constraints involved in cutting an LP and the trade-offs involved (time on each side versus amplitude, groove variability, etc.) and it is no wonder that LPs offer such fertile ground for searching out a unique sound.
Digital recording certainly has its own unique considerations, but they are on a completely different plane. Given that, it is no surprise that the LP release almost never sounds the same as the commercial CD or digital download.
However, when I make my own digital copy of an LP, using my own equipment, I find the digital version is very difficult to distinguish from the vinyl. The digital version has done an excellent job of capturing the quirks and traits of the LP, so much so that I cannot reliably tell the difference between the two versions if I have been careful in my transfer (no clipping, etc.) As noted earlier, I spent about ten years transferring over 1,000 LPs to digital and was so consistenly pleased with the results that I gave away most of that collection several years ago. I still don't miss having the vinyl. Nowadays, my turntable sits on a top shelf, unused, except for the rare occasion when I bring it out to transfer a LP for a friend or something unique that I've stumbled across.
Anyone who has ever looked into what it takes to make a LP will understand why vinyl playback can be so unique. First, the RIAA curve used when cutting the LP has a 40 dB swing from bass to treble. This curve must be matched exactly on an inverse mirror image basis for playback. Second, phono cartridges are a mechanical device that have just as much variability as speakers. When was the last time anyone thought two different brands of speakers sounded identical? Add to that the unique technical constraints involved in cutting an LP and the trade-offs involved (time on each side versus amplitude, groove variability, etc.) and it is no wonder that LPs offer such fertile ground for searching out a unique sound.
Digital recording certainly has its own unique considerations, but they are on a completely different plane. Given that, it is no surprise that the LP release almost never sounds the same as the commercial CD or digital download.
However, when I make my own digital copy of an LP, using my own equipment, I find the digital version is very difficult to distinguish from the vinyl. The digital version has done an excellent job of capturing the quirks and traits of the LP, so much so that I cannot reliably tell the difference between the two versions if I have been careful in my transfer (no clipping, etc.) As noted earlier, I spent about ten years transferring over 1,000 LPs to digital and was so consistenly pleased with the results that I gave away most of that collection several years ago. I still don't miss having the vinyl. Nowadays, my turntable sits on a top shelf, unused, except for the rare occasion when I bring it out to transfer a LP for a friend or something unique that I've stumbled across.