So how can a great system solve less than great recordings

who knew?

Perhaps those who have heard well produced  digitally remastered versions of those otherwise obtuse early mono releases on phono. 😉

Old recordings are a goldmine of great music and interesting sound that those who were weaned on music from The Beatles era and newer often tend to completely overlook.   That was the golden age of hifi when it was all new and people cared about good sound and therefore so did the recording industry.  

Poorer older quality cooms from a qobuz stream.  
Is older stuff handled well by qobuz?

I don’t have qobuz nor have I heard it but no reason why it shouldn’t.

@mapman

Perhaps those who have heard well made digitally remastered versions of those otherwise obtuse early mono releases on phono. 😉

the point being of course that those early mono recordings were never obtuse; they simply required the proper tools to access them. and agree that digital transfers from the tapes is one of those tools.

while those digital transfers (which i listen to too) don’t get close to a proper mono cartridge reading (or the tape itself), they are still an example of the idea of a great system helping to access music thought to be less than great.

Set up a mono turntable using a true mono cartridge such as a Miyajima Zero. You may be quite surprised that mono can surpass stereo LP's.