The character of analog and digital

The answer is simple, be confident in your perceptions. One’s perception can be one’s truth. Why should it bother anyone that someone else may have a different perception of what truth is? Good grief, we’re talking about audio, not world hunger.

Now, more to the point, I feel that digital and analog have intrinsically different sonic characters. To my way of thinking and given the dramatically different approaches to solving the same “problems” it is inconceivable that they wouldn’t have intrinsically different characters. The better the examples of each approach, the more subtle the differences; but they are still there. We are each particularly sensitive to different aspects of recorded sound for a variety of reasons. For me, it’s tonal texture and micro dynamics, for someone else it may be something different. We are each seduced by excellence in the areas that we tend to focus on, and tend to be forgiving of problems in areas that we don’t care about as much; areas that may be deal breakers for someone else.

So, let’s all take a deep breath and not get bent out of shape because someone’s opinion is someone else’s truth.

In continually upgrading my digital I'm hearing much greater convergence towards analog. Digital moving towards analog characteristics, I'm not hearing any of the negative characteristics commonly attributed to digital.

So, let’s all take a deep breath and not get bent out of shape because someone’s opinion is someone else’s truth.
 

Agree. But who here got bent out of shape? At least I did not detect this. Just seems various opinions and impressions were openly expressed as one would expect on an open audio forum. Certainly not a big deal.

Charles

 I love both my digital and analog front ends. It is about the music. No?

Charles, yeah, you’re probably right; a little (?)  hyperbolic of me.  I suppose that feeling that there is a “problem” at hand is not necessarily getting bent out of shape.  Maybe it’s me that gets bent out of shape at the frequent complaining about expressed opinions that differ from our own; as if not expressing an opinion/perspective is some sort of expression of a held higher ground.  It bothers me because I think it’s a shame that many audiophiles at not more open to others’ opinions/perceptions.  Counterproductive. 

How is this topic different than the “cables make/don’t make” a difference” debate?  Countless audiophiles feel that cables make an important difference in a system.  Yet, there are still some who insist that it’s not true.  How egocentric. Being more openminded is the way to a better appreciation of the very topic, even while confident in what we hear. As they say, you can’t prove a negative.  IOW, if you don’t hear it …….