When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Alex, I appreciate your defense of me, and I owe you many gifts for your Denon 3910. I have to say, though, that my 1981 and earlier lp's recommendation is based on listening, though.

I'm not completely sure that the APL Hi-Fi Denon 3910 still costs $2,500. I read on Alex's site that the base Denon 3910(from Denon) has gone up in price. I now listen to cd instead of lp. I've started another thread on Audiogon, "I've found the cd player for analog lovers"(or something like that). My analog system now needs tweaking to become another source(I have 2,000 lp's and 5 cd's-with access to many more cd's). My analog sounds darker(tracking force? At least that's where I'll start.). I just can't believe how this APL 3910 went from something I didn't listen to much(but was needed to access recordings made after 1981) to something that I listen to exclusively. I have some explanations, but this current APL really turned my thinking around. Currently, I think that analog may too easily be colored(if anything is off), and, what I thought was inherent in digital, really isn't. The irritating highs are gone. For example, we played the Beatle's White album in cd and lp. My friend, and I both preferred the vinyl. After he left, I slightly turned down the volume on the cd, and the cd beat the vinyl. I couldn't believe it! I now am wondering about the amount of information with digital. For instance, I had both the cd and XRCD of the Eagles', "Hell Freezes Over". The XRCD had much more detail. It may have included more of the Hall sound. I don't even know what XRCD is, really.

Apparently, XRCD is a better mastering process but has no differences from redboook.

I think that there is much more going on than we think(with apologies to those that have pointed this out in this thread). I just bought 38 cd's for $38. I played a few cuts from each(almost), then I got to Earl Klugh's, "Life Stories". At the back of the cd it said, "The music on this Compact Digital Disc was originally recorded on analog equipment. We have attempted to preserve, as closely as possible, the sound of the original recording. Because of its high resolution, however, the Compact Disc can reveal limitations of the source tape." Well, guess what guys, when I played this cd, it was instant relaxation. Isn't music supposed to relax you? I guess I'm confused. I understand that the digital recording process is not the problem. At least, I've heard cd's from analog turntables, and I've heard cd's(like this one)derived from analog tape, and they are both relaxing like analog. But some cd's aren't relaxing. I think that we need more clarification here. What we have is a cd maker apologizing for maybe lost information, but not understanding how relaxing their own cd is. Is there something wrong with that equation?

Let me just say this. Lp's made from 1981 or earlier are all relaxing(vinyl enthusiasts don't recognize this). I'm trying to codify cd's. What I'm thinking now(and how come a cd neophyte is the one coming up with this?) is that earlier cd's sound better when coming from analog tape, while later cd's(at least 1996) can sound pretty good. I don't know why, but why am I the one even suggesting this? No ears out there?