Vinyl vs Streaming

@ghdprentice I think it must be more complicated than the explanations that we have. 16/44 RBCD playback is not without flaws. Again, some is much better than others so we are up against "quality recording" vs garbage in all media as both exist in all media. In my own system, the very best RBCD recordings that I have, are at least pleasing to the ears, although I do often find them fatiguing over time and I find analog recording to be pleasing at higher decibel levels than the same in digital format. HDCD is much closer to my best vinyl but still not 100% there, just getting very close. My system is what it is and is all I have. Nothing wrong with it but it isn't 100k system either. Most of it is quite old and it would be difficult to even measure it's value even though prices can be assessed to each piece, they are no longer being made for the most part. Anyway, that's kind of pointless blather I suppose.

The point that I'm trying to make is that there is missing data (music) in typical RBCD playback, more so than in quality LP playback. I don't understand why this is if the numbers say different. There is a harshness and lack of fluidity which does not exist in quality analog. This is not always true but in comparing the best of both worlds (and with my system), it is the general rule. Am I making any sense? 

Vinyl can’t be mapped to a resolution of digital. There are no bits and nothing to process and convert unless you’re using ADC. 
Furthermore, it is impossible to measure musical engagement with an oscilloscope. You cannot measure the naturalness of tone either. 

Our preferences are never the same. Some value total silence and have zero tolerance for any type of imperfection. Even at the expense tonality and musical engagement. Some value convenience over anything else. Some are amazed by technology and don’t care about anything else. 
 

It’s like saying a Tesla Model 3 Performance is better than a BMW M3 because it has full self driving and can hit 0-60 in 2.9 seconds. It has zero feel and is completely artificial. Some absolutely love it. It can drive you around and you can even summon it from a parking spot to come to the front of the store where you’re standing with shopping bags. But…it’s completely anemic, has zero feel and zero engagement factor. It has superior technology in electronics that’s about it. I’ll take the noisy and rumbling BMW where I can feel the thing breathing and screaming. 
Different vibes for different tribes…
 

@billpete 

HDCD is much closer to my best vinyl but still not 100% there, just getting very close. 

I've found that rips from HDCDs that took advantage of the extra resolution usually sounded especially good. At one point before high res appeared, I tested a couple of thousand CDs to see if any had HDCD coding. There were several that were not marked as such. Also I looked through an online registry of HDCDs to see if there was any worth buying.

I wondered if more care was taken over the mastering than for the typical standard 16 bit CD.

@audphile1 

Great post. I like the explanation and the car analogy.

Vinyl can’t be mapped to a resolution of digital. There are no bits and nothing to process and convert unless you’re using ADC. 

I am guessing vinyl must have a theoretical equivalent to the resolution of digital due to the limit of accuracy of the cutting lathe. Yet, better turntables seem to have been able to extract ever more information from the grooves of records. Surely, this can’t go on forever. 

Incidently, I am using an ADC and consider it takes things to a higher level by reducing noise and distortion and facilitating DSP room correction. Apologies to analogue purists.

@newton_john Mcintosh MP100 phono stage has a USB out that, using internal ADC pumps out 24/96 digital signal. Cool phono stage that sounds great doing its primary function although I never tried its USB out. A friend owns this piece and I always enjoy it when I borrow it. May be next time I’ll give it a shot and see what kind of noise it makes feeding my Meitner dac.