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Will my CDs ever sound as good as vinyl?

Will my ripped CDs ever sound as good as vinyl at 45rpm?

My main system is digital with no preamp, just a computer as source. I rip my CDs to FLAC. My alternate system is tiny and a fraction of the cost of the main system, but on it I play only vinyl 45s. The digital system used to sound better, 45s had just a little something the digital system didn't have. Then I got a Zerodust and everything changed. Now I feel like I can hear to the bottom of the recording on vinyl and it has a lot the digital system doesn't have. The resolution is much greater and the sound is much more lifelike. The vinyl system sounds like real music and the digital system sounds like a representation of music.

Is this the nature of the beast, or can ripped CDs be made to sound as good as vinyl 45s?

Digital system:
- FLAC files on a Linux computer with relatively quiet power supply running mpd bit-perfect
- Wireworld Starlight USB cable
- Wavelength Proton USB DAC wrapped in two layers of conductive foam
- Nordost Baldur interconnect
- Bryston 3B-ST amp
- Nordost Blue Heaven speaker wire
- Magnepan MMG speakers heavily modified on Sound Anchor stands
- everything on Barry's isolation stands with Rollerblock Jr. HDSE cups and Tungsten Carbide grade 10 balls
- computer and amp connected to separate Tripp Lite isolation transformers with Pangea AC-9 power cables
- all >=2.4Ghz wireless signals in the apartment are disabled

Vinyl system:
- Pro-Ject Debut III with built-in preamp and acrylic platter upgrade
- Ortofon OM20 cartridge
- generic interconnect
- Audioengine 2A powered speakers
- Belkin PureAV PCOCC speaker wire
- turntable and powered speakers connected to the same Tripp Lite isolation transformer with stock power cables
- stylus brush, Zerodust, and record brush used after each side

I think the Tripp Lite isolation transformers must be the weak link in my digital system, but a BPT BP-1 Ultra arrives tomorrow. I tried an RSA Haley but it couldn't handle the electrical noise levels in this apartment. The Tripp Lite isolators cut the noise completely but they aren't audiophile-grade.


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Topic - Will my CDs ever sound as good as vinyl? - ggking7 07:29:04 03/08/12 (47)

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