However, you can’t change the mastering of the album you have bought. When the CD version of the album you have bought has subpar audio quality, the abilities of the medium has no value and importance.
"When the CD version of the album you have bought has subpar audio quality"
Yes, but these mastering choices could apply to the vinyl version too. In other words, your response had nothing to do with a comparison of the two media.
Nope, you can't apply the same mastering to the vinyl, esp. the latest stonewalling compression/normalization techniques because of RIAA equalization [0].
Without RIAA equalization, it's not possible to keep the needle in the groove with that amount of bass and low end. You can't keep the needle on the track with stonewalling even with RIAA equalization.
As a result, you are limited by the medium itself, hence you have to make milder choices.
Obviously the mastering differs. So your point is that the mandatory mastering limitations specific to each medium should be factored into comparisons between media?
Perhaps, but what about optional mastering choices like brick-wall limiting with normalization (which is what I think you meant)? Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point.
