Sound quality of new vinyl recordings.

to me, digital would win, based on "average" sound quality. It varies a lot less than vinyl. I don’t have money for expensive albums, so half of my collection is pretty poor quality. But about 10% of my LPs is way better than any CD, as it has been described many times: it has a soul, ambience, nostalgia, authenticity, it’s natural and has no digital characteristics (on my system, it’s brightness, unnatural highs, "scratchiness")

It also has to do with the type of music, soon after CDs surpassed vinyl, I think digital became preferred and both our ears and producing music adapted to digital. I have no vinyl from the 90s and most of my CDs are pretty flawless. (e.g. Dylan vs U2)

@grislybutter 

I agree and have observed this as well. Vinyl has a greater variability in sound quality. Which I attribute to the mechanical pressing process (right or wrong). 
 

I continue with vinyl because it has been the best (or only) option for about sixty years of my life… I am 70 now. If I was under 50 I would not bother with it. 

Not a fan of putting modern digital masters on an inherently noisy and  flawed 100 year old format. 
 

Granted the packaging can be very nice. 

@ghdprentice and I know close to 0 about streaming.

We are probably the two opposite examples - system-wise, your system is as good as it gets (I know you keep improving it) and I don't just have poor albums but very basic components as well, that don't help.

That said, there are CDs that just suck too. I guess we either have good sources pre 80s or we don't - which 90% of what I listen to. 

@mapman 

I don’t see your system under virtual systems… that would be really helpful.