As system improves, do bad recordings sound worse?

Chazro, If it gets better at resolving details, should it not be more pleasing? Recordings have an inherent ability at revealing your amp's transient response. A poor recording is actually a good instrument in measuring an amp's capabilities with your ears which is what it really comes down to. If upgrading your system isn't speeding up the source material, then I would seriously question what I'm substituting. More expensive isn't necessarily better. High-end has too many definitions. Hearing more is not necessarily hearing "better". There are very specific performance characteristics which must be improved in an amp over the one your replacing to experience an audible improvement. However, if analog is your source, improper set-up will be audibly accentuated with improved amplification.

"If it gets better at resolving details, should it not be more pleasing?" Yes, IF the recording is a good one, and I don't mean 'audiophile' good. I don't know how old you are, but when I was younger AM radio used to be a main source of music. Much of the music that I absolutely loved (and love), when played through a decent rig, sounds like absolute ka-ka. Much of the music wasn't recorded with true audio fidelity in mind and a good system reflects this, do you know what I mean? While I totally understand what yr saying, if the unsaid part of yr post is that perhaps my equipment or set-up is the culprit, I can assure you it isn't. I've been at this for close to 3 decades and have gone from an all transistor to an all tube set-up. I believe the popular audiophile consensus is, that if anything, a tube based system can add a euphonic coloring to the music. Which would actually make the system a tad more forgiving of poorly recorded recordings. As far as my analog rig, I've owned an LP12/Lingo/Ittok/Ortofon/ARPH3 that has regularly been tuned up by pros for yrs. It ain't my gear bro'!!;)

I hear you. I guess it's what we have to live with. They're starting to re-master some of that old stuff. You do have to really like some of those tunes to overlook the problems.

The last 2 paragraphs of this review by a very well respected UK hi-fi reviewer, is the opinion I also hold now. It should not just be applicable to the speakers being reviewed, but all speakers worth their salt.

http://www.acoustica.org.uk/impulse/images/H1_4.gif

As system improves, do bad recordings sound worse?

No, they sound exactly the same. The only difference is you can hear more of the "details" than you could with your boombox.