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
It depends on which audiophile you ask and which source the music is from.
I have some recordings where the vinyl pressing surpasses all else.
I have some recordings where the CD playback is the finest.
Then I have others where the 128mbps MP3 download from Napster in 2001 is the best ha ha.
And these days I am finding many FLAC streams that are simply sublime on Deezer HiFi played through my Aune X8 dac and Wiim Pro streamer.
There’s no vinyl-only solution IMHO.
But yes, there are some recordings on vinyl that simply blow everything else out of the water when you get it all in alignment. It’s kinda hard to explain, but you’ll know it when you hear it for sure 👌
Can you give an example of how the 128kb MP3 from Napster is better than the CD version? Where did the Napster file come from if not a CD?
I’m not sure how to be honest. I’m not an audio engineer.
It happens to be one of my all time favorite pieces of music: “Autumn Leaves” from the Somethin Else album by Cannonball Adderley featuring Miles Davis.
I have the 180gm remastered vinyl (German pressing), the original CD version, the tape (yes even the cassette tape!), the streamed version in hires FLAC via Deezer HiFi, 320mbps via Spotify Premium, and of course that Napster download from 2 decades ago.
I dunno, that Napster version played via my iPod on my stereo still sounds the best. Perhaps you can enlighten me?