Quote Originally Posted by YNWaN View Post
The best vinyl systems are now tonally pretty much identical to a very good digital solution and the differences boil down to stereo imagery, depth and subtle aspects like lyricism and palpability.
I like how you describe the differences, and I think the key word may be 'palpability'. Personally, I could look at this debate using two kinds of reasoning: inductive and deductive.

If inductive (i.e. 'where there is smoke there is fire') I can use my direct experience of listening to vinyl and listening to digital, and conclude which one is better. No theory, no 'but this or that expert says that one or the other is better', merely my subjective experience.

If deductive, I can start from the so-call first principles (or fundamentals). What is music? Music is a phenomenon that results from the moving parts. Certain objects move mechanically, they stir the air molecules, and the next thing we know, we hear music.

Viewing things in that light, I see that vinyl reproduction is the result of mechanically moving parts. The turntable platter rotates, the stylus travels inside the grooves, it vibrates, the cartridge body vibrates, and so on. If you place your ear close to the cartridge while it's on the rotating LP, you will hear MUSIC (providing that you switch the volume off).

If you play digital source, when you switch the volume off, you won't hear a thing. That means that digital is not the result of moving parts, but is rather a result of algorithms. In other words, digital is made from NOTHING.

Which is remarkable, but certainly not palpable. So personally, I'd always go for the palpable experience.