Which is more accurate: digital or vinyl?

Ralph,

Out of curiosity, what was the analog set-up that you had to compare to the high dollar digital playback?

Do you really think vinyl playback has progressed much if at all over the last 50 years? How about 20?

Maybe for a price. The cost of the best rigs today is outrageous compared to those days. And there certainly are not many good new records being produced.

So lets assume there is some progress but at significant ocst that most will not be interested in to play poorly made overpriced modern lps. Digital is still moving ahead at light speed in comparison and my rig is evidence that very good digital can be had these days for not very much. A $72000 digital system makes me laugh especially when the final judgement is the vinyl is still better.

Do you really think vinyl playback has progressed much if at all over the last 50 years? How about 20?

the biggest improvement in digital music reproduction happened over 10 years ago; dsd and SACD. when it came out i jumped in big time. now 10 years later the digital players are only marginally better. many people would not hear the difference between my first SACD player and my SOTA digital player now.

OTOH vinyl has been improving dramatically over that same time. all levels of vinyl playback have improved. technology advances and market demand have pushed vinyl perfromance much higher due to the much higher potential of the format. there is simply lots of information in those grooves that improving playback gear keeps uncovering.

i just recieved a new Durand Telos tonearm which further separates the very best digital and top level vinyl.

"OTOH vinyl has been improving dramatically over that same time. all levels of vinyl playback have improved. technology advances and market demand have pushed vinyl perfromance much higher due to the much higher potential of the format. there is simply lots of information in those grooves that improving playback gear keeps uncovering.
"

Maybe, but the cost seems to keep skyrocketing in order to cover whatever the heck is in those grooves that has never been heard before.

Digital is mre mainstream so more people are likely to be able to afford the improvements as the come.

How much does a Durand TElos tomearm cost? How about the whole vinyl rig needed to hear the previously unheard?

the vinyl front end i use is less than the $72k that Ralph mentions for the digital at RMAF.

but my point was that all levels (price points) of vinyl playback have improved. a $5k or $10k vinyl front end can sound terrific. just 10 years ago the story was different. there was far fewer choices and less development focus. drive systems, arms, cartridges, and phono stages have all improved up a down the price spectrom.

so yes; maintstream does have better vinly.