Well, if one is comparing vinyl on an ordinary record player to a CD, yes. But possibly not if the vinyl is being played on a Linn or a Sondek, and listened to, say, on Magneplanar loudspeakers, driven through an all-vacuum-tube amplification chain. It is possible that this might bring out the attributes which vinyl has that the CD lacks - although modern CD players have improved from the early models, even the high-end aficionados admit.
It's too bad studios crush the dynamic range to make music seem "louder" overall. There was an article on Audioholics.com about how the Metallica songs on Rock Band sounded better than the pressed CD since RB "remastered" the recordings used in the game with full dynamic range. It's a shame, really.
Vaccuum tube amps, for the most part, are non-neutral, they're nice, to be sure, but they impart a "warmth" to the sound that is not in the recording that many find pleasant, but not a 100% accurate reproduction. Not to say many other types of amps are better, but vaccuum tubes aren't the end all, be all, IMO. Then again, I also don't buy into all that "esoteric," "snake oil" audio stuff anyway. I would kill for some Maggies, though.
