loudness wars: digital recording to improve?

In a sense everything recorded is "manipulated" in some way.

What matters I suppose is whether or not the customers like the results.

Mapman... True.

Manipulation in the form of equalization, compression, peak limiting, echo, etc are intended to change the way it sounds, and are therefore fair game for opinions. Error correction, on the other hand, changes nothing between the original data and the data played back, and so is inappropriate for discussion in context of sonic quality.

"Error correction, on the other hand, changes nothing between the original data and the data played back, and so is inappropriate for discussion in context of sonic quality. "

Agreed.

Eldartford & Mapman:

Agreed as well

I suppose you like the sound of: click,click,click,click rather than what the artist recorded? If the original data is compromised, it can be fixed.