i completely get preferring analog media, so if it’s about the sound characteristics (that ‘warmth’), having physical media, etc fair enough. but if the goal of an audiophile is to get the highest quality reproduction of a recording wouldn’t CDs or FLACs be your best bet?
maybe this only really applies for newer music, perhaps digital releases for music recorded analogue are just digitized vinyl or reel to reel recordings but for music produced in DAWs the highest quality version available for that release would surely be either a CD or a digital FLAC release
Do they? I think maybe the older ones that grew up with it do, but no analogue format comes close to the accuracy, detail and accessibility of digital. It will cost you tens of thousands of dollars for vinyl setup that approaches the limits of human hearing, while you can get audible perfection from a digital setup for like $150.
Vinyl is more of a hobby unto itself than it is about ultimate sound reproduction, as it really can’t compete with digital tech at all in that regard.