| Format | Dynamic Range | Frequency Response | Noise Floor | Channel Separation | Distortion | |--------|---------------|--------------------|--------------|--------------------|-------------| | Vinyl (analog) | ~55–65 dB | 20 Hz – 20 kHz (with roll-off) | Higher (surface noise, rumble) | ~25–30 dB | Higher (THD ~1%+) | | 24/96 FLAC | ~120 dB+ | 20 Hz – 48 kHz | Virtually silent | >90 dB | <0.001% |
A file at 24bit / 96kHz taken from a pristine original vinyl pressing is arguably the greatest archival format for this album.
You cannot just download this from iTunes. Here is the audiophile workflow for the ultimate Year of the Cat experience.
But for the critical listener, one question burns louder than the rest: The answer, controversially, is not a single format. It is a trinity: Vinyl, FLAC, and 24-bit/96kHz.