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Do you trust your system?

I was constantly upgrading gear, demoing songs, reading reviews, trying to find out why I had the feeling that the song I was playing shouldn’t sound the way it does. Something off or lacking, I luckily found a set of equipment and a room setup that if a song is off, it’s likely recorded that way. I trust my system to do a decent job.  I wonder do others get to a point where they are more critical of mastering techniques than something wrong with their equipment? Admittedly, it’s easier to say how a piece of gear or cable made some significant difference, but in what exactly since the music sources are so wildly manipulated by engineers?

dain
baclagg's avatar
baclagg
151 posts
 

I learned that I could trust my system when I listened to many ‘70s and ‘80s recordings and every time I put on Dire Straits or Steely Dan or even Midnight Oil I was astounded by the sound. Goose bumps for sure. It doesn’t stop me from listening to the others , I just don’t listen to them when I’m in the mood to take my system out for a run.

dadork
633 posts
 

Janis Joplin has always been a favorite, but finding a great recording including some 15ips RtR 2nd masters, sucked. It was better than what I had but it was just rougher than a cob.. They didn't dub anything they just recorded it. Good, bad, or wasted, it got recorded.. One recording I heard 5 zippo lighters slam shut through the recording.. 

Neurotic audiophiles scurry to hear if their system reproduces 5 zippo lighters.

mahler123
3,463 posts
 

I am wondering what question the OP is asking.  Of course I trust my system.  Different remasterings of recordings will sound different.  If his system is good enough to allow him to hear these differences, then it is doing the job

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,627 posts
 

+2, @thyname 

I am now more focused on finding best possible recordings than worrying about equipment upgrades. 

audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,029 posts
 

There is NO system that sounds real...or is truth telling. All you can achieve is a reasonable, if that, facsimile of what was recorded. The only difference between one system to another is they all sound different. Like a dog chasing his tail or the proverbial merry go round. Just be happy your not listening to a boom box. Otherwise you will end up in the Nut house. Also, unless you were in the recording studio at the time the recording was layed down to tape, how are you supposed to know how it was intended to sound? You can’t....people are wasting a whole lot of money swapping and selling in an attempt to achieve what is not possible. Like a few say here, just enjoy the music, and buy more of it, meaning buy more physical media. Sorry, streaming is not for me, except to find or discover new music.

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