I thought this article in The Economist was interesing:

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12614666

Interesting article. To me, focusing on the tubes vs. transistors side of the analog vs. digital debate seems a bit unfortunate. Nonetheless, the perspectives that the article takes are quite solid. The conclusion, that we just can't tell the difference, resonates with me. ABX testing often results in a response of "Oh wow, I thought I could hear a difference but I can't."

The major analog vs. digital "war" at the moment exists between vinyl records and CDs, with the latter being quantifiably superior in every way except in high-frequency reproduction of frequencies we can't hear anyhow. I'd like to read more articles that discuss that.

The article also mentioned even- vs. odd-order harmonics, and I considered this: What harmonics does hard-limiting produce? Clipping creates odd-order harmonics. The article describes second-order harmonics as "fat". I'm still waking up, so my head's a bit fuzzy, but perhaps one of the reasons for the Loudness War is that the current dynamics compression craze produces similar distortion to what vinyl records do?

What was striking to me was the generally reasonable and informed tone of the comments!

I predict this article will be pooh-poohed on the usual 'audiophile' sites...based on the usual specious claims and misunderstandings.

I just read it. It's not that bad of an article. It doesn't make any real claims, which I suppose compared to some of the articles I have seen in the past is a good thing.

The thing to remember is that auditory perception is a psychological phenomenon, so it is not just the physical properties of sound that matter.

What this means: If you know you are listening to vinyl and you believe that vinyl is better then you will generally experience it as being better.

All senses are prone to capture and influence of some sort by other senses and cognitions. Ever wondered why sound is often described through other senses (warm, sweet, fat, thin, etc.) ?

A good example is gustation (taste) where if you drink lemonade that is colored red and the label says raspberry, you will taste it as raspberry.

Audition is prone to the same sort of effects as gustation.

This doesn't mean you will be able to ABX it, but given a belief that vinyl is better you will generally experience it as better.

So really the whole debate is moot. Whichever you think is better is generally going to actually sound better to you.

Hmm... For vinyl vs cds and such, I've always found that one of the largest misunderstandings of the analog vs digital war is that just because a song/album is pressed on vinyl, it will ultimately sound better. Now some do enjoy the "warmth" created by vinyl records, others do not. But the largest factor I find is the mastering for vinyl releases and cd releases. Take any number of thrash metal band Metallica's releases for example. The cds are crap, no questions asked. But somehow, the vinyl releases sound "heavier" and "stronger". Most perceive this to be the vinyl material at work again, and "just because it's vinyl, it sound superior". The truth is found in the mastering. Most metal bands suffer greatly from the loudness war (record companies increasing the overall amplification of releases each year, reaching the point of distortion and clipping due to the cd's volume limit). They are poorly mastered to composite for consumer's poor listening conditions, speakers, and so on. Now, the great scheme most do not see is that the record companies are in charge of the mastering of both the vinyl and cd releases (take Warner Brothers Records for example). So they only release the crap master on the easily accessible cd format, and leave the good master for the premium vinyl releases. They don't want to release the good master on cd because it will draw sales away from their crap cds. So people who do not want to deal with/do not have enough money to invest in vinyl are stuck with their poorly mastered cds. It's sad because most people overlook this and leap for the expensive vinyl before considering why it sounds better.

p.s. I am aware of companies such as Mobile Fidelity and Digital Compact Classics have released other label's albums on cd with great mastering. In fact, I own a few of those cds.

I agree totally. I like both formats, but there is more room for problems with vinyl manufacturing even though it's cool and aesthetically pleasing in every other regard.