What is better, analog or digital?

The format does not matter the more important matter is the recording quality of the material you are playing and both formats can be great sounding when the recording is a good one.

How 'bout another platitude? It's the musician who counts, not the instrument.

So I'm going to put it to the test. Just rebuilt my Pioneer PL 530 TT. Bought a Sutherland Insight PS with upgraded LPS. What cartridge should I use for playing mostly rock and 60's and 70's music? Preamplifier is AR Ls28se, Amp is PL Evo 400, GE Triton Ref speakers. TT because I bought it new in 77. Nostalgic reasons.

Endless roundabout, but I'll weigh in. What's better is what sounds better to you on your system. I have a great analog set up IMO and a pretty large record collection (maybe 2500 LPs or so) and consequently I would say analog, generally speaking. But I also have a fair sized collection of CDs and SACDs and many of the those sound incredible.

As people here and elsewhere have pointed out, it takes lots more money to reach or exceed with analog with what digital can produce at certain price point, but many people (like myself) get so much enjoyment out of analog with high end carts, tonearms and turntables they can pretty easily justify the expenditure.

There are really far too many factors involved to ask so simple a question (which is better?) and come up with a satisfactory answer.

There is some crackle and pop but much more authentic.

Authentic?

Does it really need to have rumble, crackle and pop to be authentic?

Wouldn't crystal clear be preferable?