I agree with most of what is stated above. Over the past 2 years I have built the most resolving system in my life (and I have had a few very, very good systems). There is no doubt that for all recordings you will find differences between them. Some are simply engineered better than others. Some are not so well engineered. You can also end up with an album that was pressed at the end-of-life for that particular stamper. It does make a difference in SQ, and not a good one. Some records of the same album are pressed at different pressing plants which can sometimes use lesser quality vinyl or make pressing runs well beyond the quantity of what that stamper was intended to do. What was the sonic signature the mixing was intended to sound like? A good question. That's just one area of creating the recording that can have an effect on the SQ outcome. And there are many other areas of consideration as well. I personally find that even the poorer recordings are quite listenable, particularly when it is the music I am most interested in. However, for sonic bliss and pleasure, those extremely well recorded and properly engineered albums make it all that much better. The mastering, the plating, the pressing, and the quality of the vinyl material all make quite a grand difference in SQ. For my present and very resolving system, and when playing those lesser SQ albums, I simply keep the volume down a bit. That, for me, is the method of tone control rather than introducing some other device into the signal path. And believe me, on those superb recordings, I most often enjoy them at a rather high SPL and with a very satisfying grin.
I have a number of albums that sounded just OK but have replaced them with bonified quality reissues. For example, the first Dire Straits album, self titled Dire Straits, sounds good but not great. When MoFi did a reissue of that last year using high quality vinyl, superbly mastered, and cut at 45 RPM I bought a copy. Holy cow! That is one fabulous sounding album. Light years beyond my original copy. The examples can go on and on. I hope this helps you. I hope that you find satisfaction.
Do enjoy the music.
I have a number of albums that sounded just OK but have replaced them with bonified quality reissues. For example, the first Dire Straits album, self titled Dire Straits, sounds good but not great. When MoFi did a reissue of that last year using high quality vinyl, superbly mastered, and cut at 45 RPM I bought a copy. Holy cow! That is one fabulous sounding album. Light years beyond my original copy. The examples can go on and on. I hope this helps you. I hope that you find satisfaction.
Do enjoy the music.