Am I getting it all?

Agree with Ncarv...a very good analog front end should smoke even superb digital. I'll take my Linn LP12, Koetsu Black, and Ear 834 over the digital I've had in my house most any day (at least on classical)--and that includes the EMM CDSA, the Linn CD12, and the GNSC Wadia 860, all of which are about as good as digital gets. I used to use a passive pre years ago, and concluded, after some experimentation, that an active tube pre just sounded more musical. Don't really understand why, but, like Plato, think you may want to start there.

One problem with vinyl is getting high quality LPs. Are you listening to many 180 and 200 gram version and 45 rpm versions? There are many new jazz reissues on 45 rpm that are stunning. I've got several of the Tacets and agree that they're wonderful. The Count Basie reissues and almost all Pablo reissues are wonderful.

The fact that your "best" experience to date is with the Tacet vinyl makes me think that your front end can deliver and you just don't have the best LPs. There's not a ton of great new classical reissues out there, so if that's your preference, then you've got a tougher search. Lyrita, Mercury, old RCAs, Harmonia Mundi are some of the better classical labels that had good pressing back in the old days.

Happy hunting.

Dave

I think Dan-ed asked the key question. How does digital better the vinyl? If you say better bass or upper treble, you may be missing the point. You may at this stage be listening too critically. All the setup suggestions above could be part of it, but I thought what you said about the one record giving you the most intense experience yet was key. That's exactly where analog smokes digital. When you first get into vinyl, and you're tweaking things, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture. Listen instead to dynamics, soundstage, and an overall more organic or human presentation. Step back and try to forget the analytical for now. Kinda like those 3D pictures that at first look like nothing but as you unfocus reveal themselves.
I have a really nice digital setup but I find I rarely pull out a cd or sacd. That emotional connection I get much more with lp's. You may find a gradual shift in preferences too.

I agree with all, try an active preamp. All the passives I've heard sound like there is something missing from the music.

Hmmmm....much food for thought here. I have found a subtle addictive quality about vinyl that digital does not have. However, overall sound quality favors digital, and I agree with you Dan_ed and Dcstep, that much of the problem lies in the recordings themselves. Most of my small vinyl collection was bought on auction here on
A'gon or ebay, some are 180 gr. pressings that are out-standing. I thought I'd get back into vinyl to broaden my ability to collect and listen to music, which it has done, but if you've spoiled yourself with good playback gear, it's hard to settle with just any old sound coming out of those speakers. There seems to be a great disparity between recordings in the vinyl format, not so much with digital, though that is sometimes an issue there, too.
I guess I'll just have to take the good with the bad, though I would not go so far as to say vinyl "smokes" digital. They are different, both enjoyable, though on some recordings, vinyl gives more thrills and chills than digital.
The passive pre is fairly new, an acquisition from back in Oct. '07. I don't have a good active line stage to compare it to at the moment, but my system sounds the best it has yet, even when I had a Bat VK30 w/sixpac upgrade. I'm still in the early learning stages of vinyl, after being out of it for 18 years, so it's fun, and new, and enjoyable.

Thanks to all, and enjoy, and I'm open to more learning on this format. Lots more to know than just sticking in a cd and pushing play on the remote.
Dan