Digital.
2. As the OP states, high quality analog is very costly, and it is too costly for me. While top-level analog is superior to my $ 8K digital set-up in several aspects, I would bet that my (Redbook CD) digital would quite clearly beat a $ 8K vinyl set-up (phono stage included) when it comes to general musical accuracy. I would, however, grant the possibility that the vinyl set-up would still beat my digital when it comes to believability of tenor- and baritone saxophone, a weak point of all but the best digital.
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I don't know what vinyl set up you get at 8k, but the Goldmund Studio (used price 3 - 4k with arm), a 2k cart, and an ASR phono (used price 2 - 3k), beats many digital. So by reports, would PTP Lenco, retail at 2.5k Euro, but arm additional. Add FR 64s/SME 3012r, used price less than 2k. The Metronome CD+Kalista at 85k was beaten by a much lower priced analog set up, and there were 4 people in that room including me, all of whom agreed.
So is there a crossover point at cost till which digital is superior because of the cost of ancillaries in analog? Yes, I think so. 8k might be it. For me Marty's Goldmund Studio set up, the PTP Lenco at 2.5k EUR, and then the Schopper Thorens 124 (retail 7k EUR) can start surpassing digital. Arm cost FR 64s/SME3012r at < 2k USD, phonos (going by reports), ASR Basis Exclusiv, EAR, Tron, Aesthetix IO Sig, all of which used prices vary from 2k - 4k GBP. The Audio Technica Art 9 cart at a retail of under 1.5k GBP is great.
In fact, the cost is records - buying them, cleaning them, managing them and set-up. Unless you can buy the whole matched analog rig, you might have "discovery" costs till you hit the right combo.
