Can a great system make a mediocre recording sound good?

There's a reason why the epithet "forgiving" is quite high up there in the audiophile vocabulary.

In a poor recording a system can't reproduce something that is not there. An "accurate" system will play the good and the bad. It is not designed to fix the bad just reproduce what is in the recording.

For me it depends on what makes a mediocre recording mediocre, by the way, I'd judge a large proportion of recordings as mediocre. I've found mediocre recordings that formerly had timbre, sound staging and/or were less resolving have become much more listenable. A highly resolving system with more natural timbre or tonality will uncover information previously unheard, and presents recordings in a more forgiving manner. Recordings with these defects become more involving.

Quashed micro dynamics is one defect that's been heightened by a more resolving system. I find far too many digitally mastered recordings to suffer this malady, I can only take these recording in small doses, consecutive plays of these recordings causes me to lose interest, have to return to known high quality recordings to return to involving listening session.

Poor recordings remain poor, no help can be found for these.

Not this week.

For me it depends on what makes a mediocre recording mediocre, by the way, I’d judge a large proportion of recordings as mediocre. I’ve found mediocre recordings that formerly had timbre, sound staging and/or were less resolving have become much more listenable. A highly resolving system with more natural timbre or tonality will uncover information previously unheard, and presents recordings in a more forgiving manner. Recordings with these defects become more involving.

 

Quashed micro dynamics is one defect that’s been heightened by a more resolving system. I find far too many digitally mastered recordings to suffer this malady, I can only take these recording in small doses, consecutive plays of these recordings causes me to lose interest, have to return to known high quality recordings to return to involving listening session.

 

Poor recordings remain poor, no help can be found for these.

Great post and i concur with each words....