There are aspects of vinyl records and analog recordings in general that you definitely can notice beyond the pops and crackles of surface noise. Analog aficionados will often attribute a "warmth" to pure analog sound. This sound is actually a result of analog's limitations in capturing and reproducing sound, particularly on the low end of the mix. Digital recordings are far more accurate than analog recordings and can capture a much broader dynamic range. Analog recording is much less detailed, and the gaps in data result in a slight abstraction of sound that is often very pleasing to the ear. You get a very similar difference between images captured on film as opposed to digital cameras – purely digital recording can feel too precise, cold, and clinical, and lose the "warmth" and humanity many people associate with analog technology.
