The quest

IMO digital keeps improving after only 31 years. The bigger issue is the recording quality of music not the format. Great vocal recordings(Krall-Barber-Bisson-Joyce)in the digital format leave very little room for improvement.

Not everyone actually thinks that vinyl is the ultimate best sound. There are those who think it can gloss over details too easily etc. Sure there are analog gurus who aim for very detailed and precise sound but IMO not most of them.

What amazes me is the fact that after years of development of digital sources, players, DACs, the nirvana seems to be the sound from an old fashioned turntable and a tube amplifier. Almost everything I read in the forums discussing digital audio is actually related to how close to analog the sound is. I am saying this but have also to say that I have a full digital system that I am very satisfied with (mind you, I am not a true audiophile with prepared rooms and similar refinements, but only like to listen to good music of various styles with a good and reasonably accurate sound). These discussions, though fascinate me. One day I will have to audition a very high end system to try to understand what people are talking about.

But is "great vinyl sound" really old-fashioned? While I have not been an audiophile that long, I doubt the sound of what is called today great vinyl is the same as what it was 30 years ago. I know my dad had a good sound system, he actually still has it, and the sound is not very good by today's standards. But it was amazing back then.

As someone mentioned above, the improvement pace has been slower in vinyl than digital, but vinyl seems to have improved too.

Also, Tvfreak asked in the OP if digital was "just" convenience, but I don't think about convenience just as a potatoe couch syndrome type of thing. Carefully setting up an extremely accurate vinyl rig is no minor task, requires multiple devices/gadgets (just like digital?), and significant maintenance. Of course, the potatoe couch aspects also have an impact: not as easy to get the media to your hands, and then playing them.

I've chosen not to pursue vinyl since my budget is limited and would rather pursue one avenue and do it right. I run only a computer-based front-end, with tubed pre and tubed amp, and the pre has two volume pots and no remote - hence my differentiation between the flavours in potatoe couchness ;-)

Still this discussion is very interesting to me as I've always kept vinyl as something I might want to pursue some day.

Cheers!

I'm from a generation that was raised on vinyl LPs and for many years
much preferred analog to digital. Things have evolved and I've heard high
quality digital sourced systems that equal or in some cases surpass many
analog systems. So my perspective is there's quite a bit of overlapping
between the two presently. Both can be impressively natural/organic with
emotinal involvement, both can be clinical, edgy, flat and artificial. It
depends on what components are used and system implementation.
IMO it's the quality of the recording rather than the format that's the primary
limiting factor. I can enjoy and live with either format happily if done right.
Charles,