Downside to "revealing" system?


Greetings, hope all are well. Since upgrading my rig over the years( ML 11a, REL s812s, VPI Prime Sig. Soundsmith The Voice cart, Pass xp25 phono, and Luxman L509X with Cardas cables and various powercords, plus S/R room treatments which have been unbelievable) many beloved older pressings have revealed themselves to be just about unlistenable. I'm speaking of, for example, 70s Reprise Neil Young, Randy Newman, Joni etc. Pressings are immaculate and cleaned on an Audio Desk cleaner and table is definitely set up properly. Newer " audiophile" pressings sound great. End result is I am listening to more cds since acquiring an Esoteric X01 D-2 which make even old cds sound great. I've always been a vinyl person and have over 4,000 records acquired over 30 years. I am thinking of getting a new cart next year and have heard great things about the Dyna XV-1s. ( input appreciated) Anyway, forgive the long post, I am actually grateful for a diversion from current events, stay well friends!
joeyfed55
This is sounding more like the difference between IC Cables ...
If the Cables used for the two connections, CD Transport and TT / Phono
Pre are different ... maybe not working well ... then that would be the place to look ...
Hi I have the same exact problem.
I have been pulling out even some of my favorite albums. Harsh in the upper frequencies especially when louder. Ralph at Atma-Sphere has been advising me and I now have and love his M-60 amps and MP-3 preamp with phono stage. The latest improvement is a Triplanar SE  tone arm which is coming in about a month.
I hope the harshness problem has a lot to do with bad tracking. But Ralph strongly suggested my rack may be a main culprit. I hear amplified sound when I knock on my rack. Maybe a good platform under the TT will be enough.
Ralph has also said that I should be able to listen to all my albums. Unfortunately, I still only listen to about 60% of my collection.
One thing that should not be overlooked is the panel/woofer interactions with the room.

I strongly encourage you to consider reaching out to GIK acoustics for help.
I relate "Reveling" systems to my experiences at symphony concerts.
Balcony center vs. way back at "standing room".  Now this is only my experience at the Neil Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu. And I have never sat Balcony Center.  But 7 seats off.  Yes.  Large 3d  soundstage. Pin point placement of instruments.  I could focus and hear individual instruments.  Page turns.  The air blowing into a flute.   As I recall in school, the only better?, is at the conductor's podium.  As we all had to take a turn there a time or 12.  ANALYTICAL.  I personally don't want to be there for a concert performance.  On the other hand....

I had a unfortunate but fortunate circumstance of Standing Room Only.  Small image.  No pin point resolution.  But What a Wonderful Sound!  OMG  Acoustics and blending of notes I had not heard seated anywhere else.  I told this to a friend who performs with the orchestra and fellow audiophile.  He often would  go up back there and listens.  Concurs.  "You wouldn't think so,  huh?"

It feel it is what your want or goal for your reproduction system.
Compromises and Trade Offs.

Majority of the time I just want to enjoy the music.  Home or Hall.
  
I feel a cartridge or speaker(s) in particular can often create a too analytical presentation (not to be confused with highly detailed and resolving) but including a cart that focuses on record surface noise, pops and clicks is definitely not for me. With the latter it’s often stylus type or merely a set-up shortfall that is the problem.

In my experience it is all about the speaker (character) and that’s often where the issue lies. Keeping in mind that a speaker/room/power amplifier(s) matching is absolutely critical. 
In the finer tuning of a kit sounding true to music timbre and being tuneful, having enjoyable colour and pace, realistic sound space, should all be present and in good sonic balanced reproduction. 
The problem remains, any mismatch in components, any room/speaker interaction, any set-up missteps could collectively drive the performance to a focus on “the analytical” or an exaggeration of portions of the performance, out of balance regardless of each individual components competency, reputation, or expense. 
Tweaks are tweaks (like equipment placement, burn-in/settling, or cleaning up the mains), and though collectively they become a very, very big deal refinement wise, they are not in the fundamentals (laws of physics being one) and can’t possibly fix something that does not have a solid Gestalt impo.

Finding an enjoyable solution is our quest but often comes hard, from personal experimentation based in science, from a trusted knowledgeable friend or three with ears, or a good audio dealer if you can find such a thing. Audio blogs have extreme limits in helpfulness and can lead one down numerous rabbit holes. The great propensity is to just keep spend more money and buy different stuff. 
To me, much of this hobby/pastime just sounds a lot like electronic gadgets making noise, not so much like sitting down to a good musical performance. That’s cool unless you have a limited amount of time, or money, or just really love spending your time listening to music.