Your Side by Side Experience With Best Vintage vs Newer Expensive Hi Tech Speakers

Michael Green, you've got my interest. I'm here to learn and confess my ignorance of the "tuning" you speak of and no idea what the "recorded code" is. I am teachable though, so bring it on. 
When you said tuning I thought of my 5 band built in equalizer on my Mac 6200 integrated amp. I use it often, very often, because I can "tune" a recording to what sounds best to my ears. Mood affects my turning of those dials as sometimes I want a different sound. If I want more sizzle from the cymbals, I can get it. Mood for more bottom end, I got it. I'm not an always "neutral" guy. It may not be how the guys mixing it in the studio intended, but hey, it's my gig in my listening area. I'm sure some would say I'm not a purist, but you listen to what makes you happy. Like Popeye said, "I am who's I am".

Yes.  JBL Hartsfields and 4345's.  Both clones.  The Hartsfieds were lovely and the 4345's, brutal.  The 375/2440 driver in the Hartfields is a fine transducer indeed... 

True to form the older boxes packed with underfelt just seem to have that warm sound, I put a pair of qsc/qst main drivers into my ar8's and they sound better than day 0 and handle the output from my HK 5000 with no problems.
Also have a pair of sw T1's, totally amazing, reworked a pair of JBL control 1's and superb, have a pair of 4 way sdat cat leb 404's which have shaming reviews, cost me R400 odd in 2004 as we delt with alpha united Beng ,,Jacky..still one of my favorite pairs...after ripping the carpets out and laminate strip wood look floor, my sound was terrible...the answer was to run 2 pairs of bookshelf..the upgraded AR8 and nsx90 aiwa retro..a total of 14 drivers to cover the spectrum..amazing sound, when i want to make a noise i hook up the leb 404's...mind you its a beautiful balanced noise!
Colin CT SA.

Another point is that I have the pleasure of listening to near every make and model, the older retro amps just have that pure sweet tone, unlike most of the digital systems on the market...most of my customers who had upgraded to digital ran their retro in parallel to sort the sound or just gave the digital to their kid....RETRO Rules unless you are spoilt and can afford REAL HIFI systems of today, like HK, their software engineers have sat for days fixing the sound on such like the mas100, It had to sound like a PM650..of which i have as well as an old Sony and more....at one time i was running the cats with the ar/aiwa..22 drivers and i can power up the sony and have another 4 drivers going...I will leave the Pioneer L7 to run alone...that is in the pioneer museum for a reason...the control 1's are perfect for that baby!