It is why mp3 with relatively few samples is so poor and hi res audio with far more is the closest we have to a studio recording.
Why is vinyl superior to cd.
From a technical standpoint digital cd audio quality is clearly superior to vinyl.
Records aren t exactly known for their portability for example.
There is less interference from hissing turntable rumble etc better stereo channel separation and have no variation in playback speed.
Vinyl is one of the best ways to listen to music.
For sure hi res digital music is a vastly superior format in both convenience and quality so why would someone side with vinyl over mp3 or streaming.
Comparison of a raw analog audio signal to the cd audio and dvd audio output.
The quality of a digital reproduction is dictated by how many of those samples of the original are made.
Vinyl is a limited market which attracts hipsters and enthusiasts.
Even as cd sales eclipsed and nearly exterminated vinyl the format was plagued by accusations that its sound was inferior that it was merely a convenient alternative to the lp.
What vinyl can t do.
They sound different and that s exactly the point.
The vinyl format can generate other issues.
Cd quality sits somewhere in the middle with 44 100 samples per second at 16 bit accuracy.
The answer lies in the difference between analog and digital recordings.
Thus the well built stationary record player exists in the minds of many as a hi fi ideal despite the fact that cd quality over the same system would be superior.
However that s not to say there aren t advantages to digital music.
Take a look at the graph below.
A vinyl record is an analog recording and cds and dvds are digital recordings.
Cds have a better signal to noise ratio i e.
To many the superior sound quality and physical collection are enough to justify the investment.
Original sound is analog by definition.