Do Vinyl Records Really Sound Better Than CDs?

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No.

My personal preference is to follow the original. If was originally recorded in analog, and mastered for analog, then I prefer to listen to the LP. If, on the other hand, it was originally recorded in digital, and mastered for digital (like that VH album you mention at the beginning), then I'd rather listen to it there. At some point in time, CDs became the preferred medium, and records became second-class citizens. But the real difference always comes down to the mastering. A properly mastered album, designed for the final medium will always perform better than one not.

I still play and buy cds regularly, same as vinyl and even compact cassettes. All sound as good. I never understood the discussion on what was supposed to be better. If you have proper quality equipment, take proper care of the medium and a proper audio source/ master was used to create the medium, all will sound perfect.

When I first got a stand-alone CD player in ‘87, I was blown away by the sound quality, but playing CDs through a DVD player sucks. I think you definitely need a dedicated CD player.

One might prefer the sound of vinyl over CD I prefer CD Vinyl pressings quality has always been a pain in the neck

Although like you, I am mostly doing vinyl now, I think the problem with CD’s became the “loudness wars”. If you want to hear what CD’s can really do, check out classical music, where they did not over compress the signals.

I agree with you. I have a cd player, a streamer and a turntable so I can do all three. Plus I can compare how each one sounds on the same music. It all depends on how it was recorded and mastered on each format. Sometimes I find the cd sounds better, sometimes the vinyl is better and yes, sometimes the streaming version is better. What do I buy when I want to own a particular piece of music? 5 to 1 it is the vinyl version. That's more of a personal choice than anything else. Now here's something interesting. One of my favorite albums is Dire Straits Brothers in Arms. I have it on vinyl and CD, plus I stream it. My personal opinion is the CD sounds best. This was one of the earliest full digital recordings. So even on vinyl it is digital per se. The vinyl sounds great and I listen to it that way a lot. But when I compare the CD stands out to me. So why do I bother with the vinyl? It's just the whole experience of spinning a record sometimes. And all three formats sound great!

CDs can have more dynamic range, but many are compressed more than the vinyl. And most vinyl has gone through ADC and DAC processors before being mastered. So, Neil Young might be the rare exception to the latter. Then there is all of ones playback equipment before it gets to ones pre-amp, which can make for unfair comparisons.

If you have a clean needle, a good turntable and a record with as little scratches and dust as possible, vinyl should sound equal to CD

I think both are good. Some album are better on cd than vinyl and the reverse is true of others. I will say the equipment makes a big difference also. For records, the turntable, cartridge and phone preamp must be compared to the cd player (transport and DAC) for CDs. If the equipment is on par between the two media, then the mastering for the vinyl and for the CD will be the most telling. Which is better, well I prefer vinyl at home in general for serious listening, and CDs for casual listening.

Im only listening to vinyls again for nostalgic purposes. I think its alot like what your preference is. I like cds probably the most because streaming is just not as equal

Hi Rick, I watched this video a month or so ago and promised myself that I would do my own comparison. I don’t have many CDs but one that I have, purchased recently, is David Gates “Song Book”. I have vinyl copies of all the Bread releases and David Gates solo albums, the “Song Book” release which was timed to support his tour which I was lucky enough to see at the Albert Hall, London. The CD has most of the “best of” but it has a number of new releases that have not been added to any subsequent release. I picked a Bread/Gates standard - “Baby I’m a want you” and played the CD version from 2000 against the latest vinyl release from Bread from 2018. Both payed through the same Rega amp and AE500 speakers with vinyl on a Rega Planar 6 with MC + pre amp and the CD on a Rega Apollo CD player. My hearing at 70 isn’t perfect, all the usual comments about vinyl being warmer, less bright, easier to listen to applied. When played side by side, where I could just flick between the amp’s output as the two recordings mirrored each other, the difference was stark. I asked my wife to listen and without any explanation or much listening she said exactly the same. It isn’t so much about better or worse but rather which is preferable to my ear. I prefer a more mellow sound, I don’t like a sharp top end. My predominately Rega system was picked for its softer sounds so it’s not surprising that I am drawn to vinyl rather than CD. I will still buy CDs where I can’t find a vinyl alternative but vinyl remains my first choice. Rgds Pat

Go from what is considered the top3 of CD and vinyl (mix,master,pressing) and play on the best system available. If you want to judge the medium then don't let your hifi be the limiting factor in the decision making and conclusion. You are talking what is the better medium and not what is better on your system.

I listen both formats, mostly digital good quality streaming and CDs with some utilizing DSD quality recordings, played on a SACD transport, and of course analogue vinyl (about 20% of the time). Without doubt vinyl is far more enjoyable and amazing, but only if the recording/mastering is good quality, and especially when using good quality components (not necessarily expensive). I was blown away when I added a phono stage preamplifier a year ago to the system. I could not believe the difference. Then, just yesterday, I replaced my Sumiko mm cartridge ($400) with a low output Hana mc cartridge ($750, but got on sale for $600), and OMG again I could not believe the improvement in the clarity, the highs, and especially the bass quality. I highly recommend both upgrades. The host of this blog mentioned contemplating upgrading to mc cartridge (Hana I believe). I say to him: “Go For It!”.

I still buy CD's all the time. But what I like the best: 8 track tapes.

I'm sorry to contradict you but there's no analogue glory in Ragged Glory, as the original record was recorded mostly digitally and this new mix clearly states "Mastered from 44/16 digital" on the box. So when you're spending $150 for this vinyl boxset you're basically getting content that sounds as good, if not better, on the much cheaper 2023 CD version, which retails for one fourth of the price and has been remastered with the same care. Neil Young was one of the early pioneers of digital recordings, and it's only when he lost his hearing (a few years after mixing Arc) that he started complaining about the digital format not sounding good.

What do I think..? I think that most people couldn't tell the difference and it's all BS! If you blindfold the average person before going into a sound room and you play the different media randomly... I bet they wouldn't be able to tell. Vinyl people are convinced vinyl sounds better; likewise CD people. Personally, I have now switched back to CD. I got sick to death of the poor quality vinyl and the difficulty of playback. Put a CD on, or six, on repeat, sit back and enjoy. Actually, I tell a small lie... I have switched to SACD. SACD on my Atmos theatre system will blow them all away hands down.

You are absolutely correct. It's all in the mastering. When you mentioned that the CD sounded better than the vinyl back in the 90's I remember noticing that too. You hit the nail on the head when you said that the CD was the new kid on the block and the recording industry was pushing the new technology. So vinyl was purposely not mastered as well as CD's to get people on board with buying CD 's.

I understand why you are saying about the Neil Young album. Give a good engineer enough re-takes and he/she can make a vinyl record that you believe is better than a CD. But that's just me.