How much is about the recording

^exactly^… and agree.

Most gear is pretty good, and things do not improve as one traverses through the audio chain.

If the recording is not too stellar then it is immediately pretty disappointing, but when the recording is good… then as long as the system is staying out of the way, it remains pretty damned good… IME.

On my system the difference is absolutely staggering. Not too many recordings sound horrible, but man the really great recordings are just mind boggling. I will be finishing a room for listening in the near future. Very anxious to see what proper setup and treatments can do for those less than stellar recordings.

I am there. Happy with the gear I have, in the context of my listening habits, living space and room limitations (that are many).

Not a single gear expense in the last 6 months, just musical joy, which was all what was intended to start with