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You folks aren't all that interested in reality:

https://www.sageaudio.com/blog/mastering/what-is-mastering-for-vinyl.php

"The Physical Limitations of a Vinyl Record:
The secrets of mastering for vinyl lie in the specific limitations of the physical vinyl record itself, and the cutting process used to create it.

Let’s address the potential issues stated above. Again, they are:

Varying degrees of distortion
Skipping needles during playback
Lacking dynamics
An overall less pleasant listening experience
Varying Degrees of Distortion:
When is comes to vinyl record cutting, a general understanding of the physics behind the process is needed.

I won’t be exploring the science too deeply, since the information is vast, complex, and may not directly help answer the questions posed earlier.

So here briefly is an explanation as to how the potential for future distortion occurs during the cutting process, and how that distortion occurs during the playback process.

First it must be understood that the physical shape of the vinyl disc causes a varying rate at which the information can be cut into it.

. . .
The circumference of the record is greater along the outside, than on the inside.
In other words, when a record is being cut, and also during it’s playback, the greater circumference of the outside of the record allows for a greater surface area to be cut.

Since the lathe, and playback system rotate the record at a unchanging rate, and the surface area becomes smaller the closer to the inside of the record the needle gets, the velocity of the needle slows down significantly.

On the outside of a record, the needle or lathe’s cutter moves at roughly 20 inches per second. But on the inside, the needle or lathe moves are roughly 8 and 1/2 inches per second.

Sonically and technically, this would be very similar to reducing the tape speed of a tape machine from 15 ips to about 3 and 3/4 ips.

. . .
Notice the speed functions on the lower right side of this tape machine.
In a more modern example, this is similar to reducing the sampling rate of a digital recording from 96kHz to 22.05kHz.

In all of these examples, you’d be able to notice a significant decrease in the replication of the high end or the high frequency range.

This is precisely what happens to a vinyl record. As the surface area is reduced, the ability to both create and playback high frequencies is significantly reduced.

. . .
By the time the lathe needle reaches the center of a record, 15kHz has been attenuated 3dB.
Furthermore, the amount of distortion created during the cutting process, directly corresponds to the amplitude of the high frequency signal at these low surface area, inner record parts.

Because the surface area is limited closer to the center of the record, the lathe must work harder to cut higher frequencies. If the needle works too hard, it will jump out of its groove, causing hissing and distortion.

Due to this physical limitation, it is imperative that the level or amplitude at which the record is cut be closely monitored, and uniform across the entirety of the record.

This is why the track list of a vinyl record needs to be carefully planned.

Typically, softer tracks with a lower integrated amplitude are placed closer to the center of the disc, while the louder more aggressive tracks are sequenced farther to the outside.

Again, the additional surface area along the outside of the record allows for more information to be cut without resulting distortion.

The smaller surface area, and subsequent cutting speed of the center, lends itself to increased distortion at high amplitudes."

In other words, a modern master has to be compromised in order to be turned into an LP. LPs are nowhere near the current state of the art. That makes ultra-high priced LP playback gear a waste of money, as the results will never be as good as what is possible by simply back the digital master on digital gear.

billyb,

I'm a fan of vinyl, but I'm no fan of dubious claims made on it's behalf.

All other things being equal, digital is capable of greater accuracy. Whether one prefers that accuracy is a different question.

A problem occurs when those audiophiles who have their own *preference* for vinyl (as I often do), project that preference as if it were some objective, intrinsic quality inherent in vinyl itself. And so you get these anecdotal stories like you gave in support of the idea, and the claims about "analog being more natural" which "explains" why "people like analog better."

That's just projection.

Humans have been enthusiastic listeners of both vinyl and digital.
You will get *some* audiophiles saying "I never liked digital!" But you will hear from many who switched from vinyl to digital and never looked back, being happier with digital sound, and enjoying digital every bit as much as any vinyl enthusiast.

The HEIGHT of music sales occurred during the CD age! So digital hardly turned human beings off enjoying music!

Millions (billions) of people around the world listen to digital sources and enjoy music. My sons are big music fans and they can love their music through their laptops or phones. My youngest (17) often requests music on my 2 channel rig. Sometimes I'll spin vinyl of songs he likes, other times stream from Tidal. He doesn't give a d*amn what the source is, he responds enthusiastically to the music.

It's mostly some small percentage of audiophiles who hold to this "I just can't listen to digital, it's not musical" mindset. It isn't actually reality for humans in general. (And on technical grounds, there is no reason to expect otherwise).

My feeling is "yes." (With various pretty obvious caveats).

I think you can say that about both alternatives.