"Pavarotti sings loud, no question. If I ever want to peel the paint from my walls, I'll play some of his music. Godawful! Perhaps he's more listenable on vinyl?"

I'm surprised at your reaction. Not only do I think he had one of the greatest voices of all time in his heyday, I never appreciated it until I heard digital recordings of it. Vinyl was too compressed, to restricted to exhibit its huge power. The most amazing thing I noticed about Pavarotti, other great singers, and other great performers, is that they can combine power and purity of tone in one to a degree lesser performers never even come close to. Not only that, but Pavarotti (and other greats) have exactly the same tone at very low levels and very high levels and all levels in between.

I prefer the DG cds to the vinyl. I've also had some experience with background noise and I think that the cds are better balanced. Both are excellent. I also like the RCA Living Stereo recordings but the ones from the 60s in stereo, not the ones made in the 50s.

"I don't disagree with what you're saying. But how do you explain a company such as Thrill Jockey, that currently produces both CD's and LP's?"

I don't know anything about them. But after getting burned on Coltrane last year, I don't take any advice on Jazz recordings on verbal recommendations. I have to hear it before I buy it now. BTW, I listened to Coltrane again after several months away from it just to see how I would react to it. Sorry to say I like it even less than I remember upon the first few dozen hearings last fall.