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Your system quality vs. recording quality

This is what I find frustrating.  Some recordings sound amazing, even better with a great system.   And then there are recordings that just don’t sound good.  And these recordings are from very good performers (why didn’t they put out a better quality recording?? Is it that difficult?).

A revealing system will highlight problem recordings.

No matter how much is spent on quality components, it’s very hard to make subpar recordings sound great.
A profound dilemma.




emergingsoul
steve59's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
steve59
1,778 posts
 
There's been tracks i've played at the shop that had the salesman running for the volume knob, but at home the very same recording sounds great. Sometimes putting an acoustic panel at the first reflection point will save an old brittle recording, sometimes they just suck, but then why do they sound so freakin' good in my truck?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,307 posts
 
Another thing is if you’re system is in the zone and you actually like music most recordings will draw you in not chase you away.

If not then two possibilities are something needs to change and/or maybe you don’t like music as much as you think you do.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
1+ @mapman  A good system makes everything sound better. I listen to some very old Louis Armstrong stuff. By modern standards it is pretty poor but just listen to him play that horn. It is like the tarnish on an old photograph. It belongs there. I also think you have to give the artist some leeway. Perhaps they want you to hear it a certain way. Listen to a Fiona Apple disc. 
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,520 posts
 
For sure some recordings are better than others but your music system should play your records in a way that is satisfying to you. The goal is to have 80% of your collection sound good. If only 10% of your music sounds good, you need to work on your tune-up. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,307 posts
 
Yes I have recordings dating back to the 1920s of all kinds in my library and I find almost all of them interesting and enjoyable in different ways because my system lets me by keeping added  noise and distortion out of the picture and just delivering the goods whatever that may be recording to recording. 
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