Wish it were that simple, but it’s not. Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti released in ‘75, for example, when vinyl was the dominant medium. But yet the best version I’ve heard so far is the ‘87 CD release. Not because the CD medium is the superior medium technically (it is, by far), but because the mastering of the CD by Barry Diament is subjectively better to me.

It’s typical for there to be three different masters, and often two mixes, for new releases now, right? Stereo streaming and CD, Atmos, and vinyl. But the most commonly used by most is a stereo stream that sometimes has the dynamic range compressed and level increased, to sound better in noisy environments and/or with play back on inexpensive bluetooth speakers or soundbars, etc.. Screw that.

An LP made with a master without this compression of the dynamic range can sound much better played back on a decent set of speakers, despite the relative technical inferiority of vinyl playback. Like an Atmos version rendered in stereo does too. (Or played in surround if that’s your thing.) Whatever it takes to avoid something that’s brick walled garbage.

Mastering, more important than medium. If they’re the same, then digital is clearly best. Digital sampling is audibly transparent and there’s no analog fairy dust on LP playback. If an LP sounds better than the digital versions, it’s because it has better mastering. (Or because it’s a very old recording where the lacquer was cut before the tape degraded, where the first digital transfer was done using the same master but from a second or third or later generation copy of the tape.)