@dain — I love the question you pose. Here we are, collectively, trying to build/refine/tweak a system that sounds the way we want it to sound. And the only way to asses your status and progress is by playing recordings. And those recordings all have a different sonic profile.
Your eye doctor determines your prescription with standardized eye charts. And then you trust the glasses he/she gives you. But what if you knew that some eye charts are blurrier than others, even with perfect vision? Some charts are black and white, others are some other combo. Some use overall smaller characters from top to bottom. Some use different fonts. And then you learn that your glasses might not seem so resolving if you look at another doctor’s eye chart. How much do you trust your glasses?
I think it’s a mission-critical question. And we all have to find ways to sorta/kinda standardize our system assessments, identifying our own “reference” recordings. But that’s not exactly scientific. Like any high end chef will tell you, when something tastes off, she will always consider all possibilities, including the ingredients (analogous to the equipment we choose). Like that chef, when I hear something I don’t like, or don’t hear something I should, I consider all possibilities including my gear ingredients.
There is some art to it. It adds another level to the fun. My two cents.