Are most recordings so bad it's not worth spending large on speakers?

I think we are on the right path here. Phase is most important at cross over points particularly with sub woofers. I think otherwise frequency and amplitude as they relate to each other are critical in producing a refined image. It is true that 90% of what influences this interrelationship is the speaker and how it performs in a specific location in a room. To create an image it is critical that the sound from each speaker gets to your ears at exactly the same time at exactly the same volume using say a test signal from dead center stage. Now as the signal moves back and forth across the stage it's arrival time and volume change giving you it's position in space. I think that is something we can all agree on. Now, as I move a speaker in the room it's frequency response curve changes based on it's interaction with the room. The response of two identical speakers is never exactly the same because they can not occupy the same region in space. So, a pair of identical speakers can be 2-3 db different at any part of the response curve. So as an example take a violin. At 500 Hz it is say 2 dB to the left. At 1000Hz it is dead center then at 2000 Hz it is 3 dB to the right. You have different parts of the violins frequency response coming from different points of the stage blurring the image. It is not so important to have a flat frequency frequency response, It is important to have exactly the same frequency response. The only way I know of to achieve this is with high resolution room control. Other than this the only other issue that can confuse the image is early reflections that have to be minimized as much as is reasonable in any given room. You do not want a speaker blasting in all directions. The result of this is that you have more early reflections to deal with. You want to control the dispersion to create fewer early reflections. 
Obviously none of this has to do with amplification or signal sources. The image is embedded in the software but it is up to the speaker and room to interpret it correctly. 

Recording quality comes in all forms. Too many listeners I know, now and in the past, only listen to the better recordings ( Water Lily, Telarc, Sheffield, etc. just as a small example ). These are the folks that seem to spend the most on their systems, and yes, I am generalizing, as there are always exceptions. Although I enjoy these marvelous labels, and find my system to be " all that ", I want to, and do, enjoy my many average recordings. As long as I can " connect to the emotional content of the composers and players ", whether it be a Mozart piece, Jethro Tull, Miles, Billie Holiday, or Charlie Christian ( again, as examples ), I am involved, and transported, to a kind of facsimile of the performance. Depth, imaging and soundstaging, are without a question, characteristics of this playback, and excellent, mind you. But, it is the " unison ", the " togetherness ", the " performance ", the " musicianship ", is what brings me in, and, on pretty much every recording I own or listen to. It is this " connection " that seduces me......If Jagger and Richards are recognizable, in all of their glory ( I know I have repeated this on many of my posts, so sorry ), I am happy. Enjoy ! MrD.

The basic point is huge, and directionally correct. We worry about the smallest things in our hifi, but the big concerns are:

1. poor recordings/masterings/pressings
2. rooms and setup

But all but setup are out of our control, unless we want to buy recordings for technical quality rather than artistic. Count me out.

That said, rock and pop have usually been in a class by themselves (not in a good way). Since i’ve ranted before i’ll stay out of the particulars, but its pretty true. Exceptions exist!


Blues, jazz, folk? I would disagree. Sorry for those subjected to the same examples in two days of the same week, but listen to Ella and Louis (Verve), Andre Previn and friends play West Side Story, or pretty much Any Verve, Mercury Living Presence or -- just to make a liar of me -- Pink Floyd. Superb.
In general the more active production, the less of the original hall and timbre exists. Verve used two mikes, MLP three. They did minimal eq and almost no over-dubbing. Except maybe the cannons, and Bob explains his technique :-)

I would also say that recordings are getting better. Digital facilities are finally, after three decades, a boon rather than a bane. The advent of personal fi means that AM car radios are not the assumed playback device. Many reasons that they might be expected to improve. of course, hearing impaired artists and engineers can still create bright results (and sound good to them!)

Now monopoles bad? Shhhhhhh Don’t tell Wilson.

No.

There are any number of great speakers, that paired with synergizing amp/preamp, will sing and make you all googly! Don't let anybody tell you differently.

Listen to @atmasphere !

His electronics ain't bad either.