In Classical music the effect of SQ on appreciation

Sound quality matters a lot to me. I revel in the noise that classical music makes in a live venue, and when my fingers are up to it I revel in the sound I make when I play my musical instruments. If I can get a decent amount of that quality of noise in a recording, hey, I'm a happy guy..

As in your example where I have multiple copies of the same musics SQ is rarely the major issue. I am usually attracted to simple things like tempos and dynamics that tend to define the performance. Think Kleiber's Beethoven's 5th, or Richter's 1958 Sofia live recording. Kleiber's SQ is OK, Richter's Sofia is abysmal but the performances are essential if not definitive. FWIW, I'm no longer attracted to a recording because of its SQ - I'm more interested in new performers, new music,  new performances of familar music. My system is good enuf for me so I don't really think about SQ, and frankly don't want to. Intrudes too much. (That is why I gave away my vinyl system, I found myself too connected to SQ at the expense of immersion into the music.)

Newbie,

Yes, Richter’s Sophia recording is a cough fest.

As far as Carlos Kleiber’s Beethoven 5th I have the regular CD as well as a DVD-A and an SACD of the performance.

As you can tell, SQ IS important to me as well, although I don’t think think it’s healthy.

SQ is huge. I never was able to enjoy classical much at all until my system got there. In the last year between Tekton, Townshend, and Soundsmith, now all of a sudden classical is compelling. Then in terms of records, put on a White Hot Stamper, Tchaikovsky 1812, holy cow now you're talking!