Its the recording stupid!!

Some recordings just plain sound better than others. Bottom line. I now find really poor recording hard to listen to. I get what the OP is saying. But I know it is not my system. I have certain high quality recordings that I play sometimes to remind myself just how good my system sounds.....tom me. 

Oh dear, another one of those  subjects.

Since I don't a have a tape copy off the master I can play on a Studer, I settle for my AB1006. It had to be sifted thru a few other $3-5 bin buys. A stamper within a $20-30 process. Ridiculous? Yes, when "the one" is found, your speakers do all that audiophile baloney.

Aja? umm....well alright. I default to the first 3.

Best to just absorb the music.

It's a chance for me to repeat: Stop chasing tweaks, start chasing great recordings!

Well,

Younger, yes. As you age, experience adds up, you have confidence in your system you have accumulated, then it is both disturbing and rewarding but not alarming.

We have learned to listen intently, and put together systems that reveal the good and the bad. Thus disturbing by the knowledge the people involved in the recording of great artists 'failed' in their part.

Rewarding because once again our great system reveals it's ability to discern.

Jazz, Classical, Instrumental, poor recordings are likely to linger without many if any replays, while singer songwriters who I relate to emotionally will be replayed with enjoyment, the great recordings of that type fully treasured.

Someone like Sade, IMO the Queen of Rhythm, as well as songwriter, some recordings are not as great as others, but they make the rotation.

U're just too anxious, music should calm you down, but not making you irritated or depressed

I think the key is you asked if this ever happens when listening to your stereo. This should never happen when listening to your stereo. This should only happen when listening to some stranger's stereo. Even then not often. Like maybe the first time you hear it. After that, if you can't figure out what's what, well on second thought if I say that someone's gonna be triggered, there goes the post, and nobody learns how big a deal I think it is that you don't know what you're hearing.

Either that or this was just another roundabout way of plugging Aja. In that case, nevermind.

Sure, this happens sometimes and I will go grab something that I'm intimately familiar with and know how it should sound.  It just so happens that Aja is my go-to for setting up new gear, especially making cartridge changes on my turntable.

Never! I put on an LP or CD and sit back and just listen and try not to analyze the sound quality! Focusing on that hampers the enjoyment! After all, the "perfect" recording does not exist - though some are closer than others! There is always a "better" recording to hear!