It sounds different than a pristine digital version of the same track, although often vinyl tracks are mastered differently due to the limitations of the medium.

If you were to digitally record the output of a record player and play it back, there would be no discernible difference.

> If you were to digitally record the output of a record player and play it back, there would be no discernible difference.

That’s probably true, but nobody does that.

Many people digitize their records, why not?

I also have some which are not available digitally otherwise (or only in remixed or remastered versions)

Audio is audio? 4 bit mono sounds the same as 16 bit stereo?

Vinyl sounds blatantly different due to analog distortion in the vinyl mastering and playback mechanisms. The distortion, frequency response, dynamic range, are all significantly different. You must be practically deaf to not hear the difference between vinyl and CD quality.