I agree completely with rb122 and DMK. They've said it about as well as it can be said. If you are looking for the sound of live music, you'll find it most often with vinyl. For some reason, vinyl measures poor and sounds great, usually. Likewise, CD measures great and sounds poor, usually. Certainly not everyone agrees with this and it's not likely that anyone will change their mind on it unless they upgrade their vinyl system and find out what it's all about as rb did. Skeptic is a rare exception who has found a way to enjoy CD more than vinyl but he uses an equalizer and seems to have tuned his system to maximize their performance. Combine that with the fact that he listens to opera and classical almost exclusively which most of us do not and he seems to have a knack for seeking out the best CD recordings. Most of us don't have the choices in pop, rock or jazz. New music does not leave so many choices. You find your favorite artist playing your favorite music, buy the CD or vinyl if you can find it and hope they did a good job. With SACD and other new formats coming out, maybe things will improve.
Bill