Let us not forget the performance. The most critically acclaimed conductor's interpretation of a symphony may not sound as good to some people as a lesser rated performance by a different conductor. Next matter the recording and the equipment including the room.
Isn't it really about quality of recording?
Are most of us just chasing our tails?
I mean you listen to a variety of recordings and some sound a lot better than others. Your system has limited impact on how good recordings can be. I am awestruck how some music sounds and clearly my system has nothing to do with it, it all occurred when the music was produced.
We talk about soundstage and imaging and I am not sure all the effort and money put toward a better system can really do that much for most of what we listen to because the quality is lesser than other recordings.
You can walk into a room and hear something that really sounds good and you say wow what an amazing System you have but no!!! It's the recording dummy not the system most of the time. Things don't sound so good it's probably the recording.
The dealers don't wanna talk about Recording quality no one seems to want to talk about it and why is this? Because there's no money to be made here that's why.
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I am still shocked/amazed at how dynamic and colorful many of my recordings sound (CD and LP) with upgrades in cartridge/SUT and DAC/transport in 2022. My former Benz Ruby 3 didn't match well with SUTs and I lost dynamics. The Zesto Allesso and a cheaper Dynavector 20X2 L is a perfect match. My extreme DAC and modest cost upgraded transport makes so many 1980s CDs come alive as good as analog. My own engineered recordings are sufficiently good to publish now that I hear them back at such a high level. I agree with 85% average, 10% great and 5% stinkers as far as recording quality although some eras/engineering were usually great (e.g Bob Fine/Mercury) or mediocre (late 1970s Decca/EMI/DGG). With 42,500 records and CDs, I have my share of sonic clunkers (but oh, those great 50's & 60's jazz and classical recordings). |
Wow… you should post photos of your system and collection! I have 4,000 albums.. about half and half vinyl and CDs. I am giving away my CDs… just no point with streaming. But my albums take up a wall… that is a lot of physical media. You can see most of my media on my virtual systems photos. You have over ten times my collection… that is amazing. |
@ghdprentice I have 7,000 CDs. At least 1,000 are Romophones, Marston and Biddulph. Unavailable for streaming. The alternatives are buying LP versions or the 78s themselves (if possible, $1millions in cost and then there is the playback speed/stylus issues). I also have ethnic CDs, private recordings by me and others which cannot be licensed for public play, etc. About 40% of my CDs are available for streaming So, I'm never giving up my CDs (or rare 78s). Most of my 28,000 LPs are not streamed and most original tapes are just gone with no ownership or out of existence (remember the Universal fire as well). |
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