Yes, I mean "has had the most care expended on the recording process", and therefore more fully demonstrates what our systems are capable of. I mean the latter in a holistic sense--as a total musical experience. I find I sometimes appreciate the literal sound/recording itself sometimes as much as the music it's transmitting. The first time I heard a really good system, I cried, and I didn't even care for the track.
I'm interested in this because I've noticed that the "quality" of a recording does seem to be somewhat dependent on its genre. For example, rockabilly tracks are usually recorded to mimic the lo-fi of their era, while classical and modern jazz strive to be as accurate as they can manage. I wish blues was better reproduced, although Jimmi Vaughn's team do a great job. I could go on.
I'm interested in this because I've noticed that the "quality" of a recording does seem to be somewhat dependent on its genre. For example, rockabilly tracks are usually recorded to mimic the lo-fi of their era, while classical and modern jazz strive to be as accurate as they can manage. I wish blues was better reproduced, although Jimmi Vaughn's team do a great job. I could go on.