Quote Originally Posted by Sondek
Actually, none of the cd recordings I have (AKA Naim CDS3 cdp) can match my LINN lp-12 musically. The 200 gram pressings simply have more fluidity than any cd player can deliver. This makes the vinyl more tonally alive and involving.

But...

No vinyl I have heard has the cd players black background and frictionless silence. Stuff like the 1812 overture and other dynamic/bass powerful recordings work better on a cd IMO.

The Thorens is a decent deck, but not really tonally a "reference" deck in which to compare vs premium digital.

In my case, I am comparing a $14k cd player and an $8k turntable set up. Cd has it's merits, but both platforms are capable of extracting nuances to the point enjoyment becomes synergy, and recording quality dependent.
I wouldn't spend more than a few hundred dollars for either a turntable or CD player. As you know, there's a point of diminishing returns when you reach stratospheric heights in audio (or anything else for that matter). I've never found CDs "cold", "vapid" or any of the other adjectives some audiophiles use to describe their sound. The quiet background alone sold me on CDs as preference to vinyl.