Well nobody can answer except Mr Fremer himself. But if vinyl playback is a priority for him why care ? You listened for years with a turntable costing ten thousand of $. I still own a Goldmund studio 2/Magneplanar/Ortofon X3 setup now mainly used to record vinyls to CDR. Many have arguments with him but I think his analog gear is one of the best (when playing excellent pressings) using the old Continuum Caliber (now discontinued)/SAT arm and Lyra Etna or Ortofon cartridges. It doesn't cost 300 000 but as I don't know about his preamp & cables... Like him I love the Beatles & the VU. He makes me discover a lot of music, loves his analog planet blog too.
For digital the differences between gear are so subtle to my ears I feel no need to upgrade, still own very old CD player from 1996, a Micromega Drive 2 with his converter and as preamp I have a Nano DAC from 3D Lab. purchased used for 550 $ last year. So I'm not a huge digital fan (my vinyl playback system with phono preamp costs more than ten times the price of the other front end) but what can I do ? A lot of music is only available as CD so you can't ignore it.

And biased against him and analog in the same way.

I'd like to focus on this comment:

rzr wrote:

....... He states that listening to Tidal and Qobuz sounded like cardboard.............

Assuming this is a representative statement , I can't agree with MF's conclusions since I have enjoyed streaming music on my system (a good one) and had that transformative feeling you get when your rig is cooking and the music is pouring out. You know what I mean. It can sound great.

I haven't read the particular article referenced but I have read enough of MF's writing to know he doesn't just prefer vinyl, he hates digital. I can understand the preference but as an owner and user of different sources, I think there are some great advantages to digital that our current analog forms can't achieve. I'm not going to list them, you should all know what they are but they are numerous and demonstrable. You pay, you choose. Maybe you even choose both, especially if you have records and have been in the hobby long enough, as I have, to own most of the "legacy" sources.

I enjoy MF's articles and POV as respects his knowledge of disc recording and playback. I don't buy a total renunciation of digital audio, especially considering the vast majority of available music has at one time or another (and often many times) been digitized, even if it is being delivered as an analog product.

I'm not torqued by Fremer in the least as I find him very entertaining and engaging. And I'm in this to be entertained! But I do think he has that part wrong and I don't think it's unfair to point that out. Plus it makes great conversation.

I've enjoyed his analog writing for a long, long time. I totally ignore his opinions on digital because of his fairly well-know bias against it and all-encompassing love for vinyl. I love my modest vinyl rig and use it. It can be special at times, depending more so on the recording.
I think it's fair for the poster to question why he's allowed to review digital stuff, that's all; I wouldn't cut him off. :-)

First of all, partner, calm down.

I own a dCS Vivaldi One SACD player/DAC/streamer. It's pretty good. I use ROON and have more than 7000 high resolution files on the system and hundreds of SACDs. I have Verizon FIOS so have fiber optic coming directly into my home. I did it just for you!

Secondly, I have reviewed over the years and continue to review budget and mid-priced analog gear but I guess you don't read those reviews.
Thirdly, the name of my column is ANALOGCORNER. Capische?
Fourth: I do enjoy listening to hi-rez files and Qobuz and TIDAL
Fifth: Generally I prefer the vinyl versions of whatever I can also stream, even when reviewing moderately priced analog gear.
Sixth: I often get emails from readers like this one:
"Hi Michael, one of your videos you talked about the Rough Mix album. I bought a copy at a local used record store because I have the high res digital version and really like it. I didn’t know anything about the lp except I prefer it over the digital version."

I am not alone in my preference for vinyl playback, nor are you alone in your preference for digital. However, this is a bit harsh, don't you think? "Why is Fremer Still Reviewing?" I do!

rzr wrote:

Just read Fremer's latest Analog Corner and what a joke. He states that listening to Tidal and Qobuz sounded like cardboard. Before I say something that I shouldn't, let me state a couple of things:
1) Fremer is biased toward vinyl which is no secret
2) Fremer compares everything digital to his $300,000 analog rig
3) He goes cheap on anything digital and then complains why it sounds so bad.

Awhile back, Fremer was reviewing a Moon Dac (maybe a dac/streamer), but he refused to spend $100 for an external disk drive to review certain functions of the unit, but he will spend $100 for the 2 lots that hold his cartridge to the tonearm.

I'm guessing, that Fremer has a cheap dac and uses a cheaper copper internet pop which would make anything coming off the internet sound like crap.

Before Fremer opens his mouth bad mouthing digital, I want him to purchase a $300,000 digital setup that equals what he spent on his analog setup and get a fiber 1G network coming into his house. If he does this, he will sell all his vinyl or at least lower his bias.

FWIW: I have a dac that is on the Stereophile A+ list of dacs (which cost less that 5% of the cost of Fremer's analog setup) and I sold my 5-digit turntable and everything analog because digital sounded so much better.

Because of YOU Mr Fremer I bought a new stylus for my Goldring 1042 AND for a Shure M75B plus a new tonearm (from Project) ! + at my local supermarket more than 50 SS vinyls discounted at half price (Beatles, Muse, Prokofiev, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, the Doors, Mylene Farmer etc).
I tried to buy an Esoteric SACD player (second-hand), a K5 but after less than 30' or so it ceased operation so considering the high price and complexity of maintenance of course didn't take it. Sad because it was largely discounted and I Loved the remote.