I believe you’re still missing the point. As you say, none of that matters when you cut to the chase. It’s a business at the end of the day. How an artist gets paid. That’s his prerogative on how he negotiates his contract to get paid. His finances should be the last thing I need to worry about. That’s what his attorneys are for. What’s funny is that I remember similar conversations about the argument on the rights to SACD and before that CD’s. Oh, and don’t forget about the IPod classic. I remember when Wadia came out with a docking station and all of a sudden we were all in. It’s amazing how we forget about our past. Another point is you can have what one may call the best Board/ recording engineers in the world but 2 individuals will here the same song at the same time differently. It’s how we absorb and process information different from one another. It’s human motor learning behavior. Who are we to force our notion of what’s right or the best with music, engineers, artists, etc. The more I think about it, the more we are approaching the art world on how we think and discriminate an artist, their music, the composer, etc. Enjoy you music however you like because I definitely do. Being a former DJ who can appreciate all types of music allows me to be a sponge and absorb information. For the newbies who are getting into HiFi Audio, it’s great to ask questions or get specific opinions but at the end of the day, it’s your money. Spend it how you want. Don’t get caught up in the theatricals.
PS
I listen to TIDAL, Qobuz With MQA and Hi Res, Albums with a Turntable, CD’s (Redbook & SACD), Reel to Reel and Tuner (FM Radio, HD). I’m very flexible and enjoy switching from one source to another. I have a pretty extensive system and I’m very fortunate.