Analog is still superior, digital is far more convenient and accessible. People do like to go on about analog like it was a religion but when I run music off my iPhone through my car speakers it sounds way better than the 8 track player that was in my 1973 Porsche 914 ever did. Records are still great but most of the time I would rather stream off Spotify because I have a life to live... I pick up the Bluetooth speaker and bring it with to the Kitchen, garage, beach or pool... My 1970 stereo system with the techniques turntable kind of stays put. I basically have fond memories and a warm spot in my heart for the technology of the past but I like technology and I’m not afraid of the future.

Lossy digital is just a sketch of analog when you talk about AAC, MP3, MP4, or WMA. Tape and Vinyl are nearest to the dynamic range you will hear in a live performance. Early CD's are the next best thing until you get into the loudness war material starting in the late 90's. Most of the audio after that had all the dynamic range squeezed out of it to boost average loudness yet still get past the FCC required peak detectors in radio stations. The EBU and FCC are clamping down on broadcast loudness with new integrated peak and average loudness detectors so we'll see what direction we go in next. Maybe some resurrection of PONO? and Xstream?

For what, recording? Listening? Analog undoubtedly sounds better for both, but super restrictive and expensive to record on obviously. I love the punchy warm sound of vinyl, it’s the closest you can get to hearing raw live sound as it was heard in the room. Digital bitrates can get so high that they’re almost indistinguishable quality to the untrained ear, but there is something subtle that fatigues the ear about having to fill in the stair step shape of a digital wave form compared to the smooth perfect slopes of analog. No matter how high quality digital gets it will never represent sound as authentically as analog.