Bolero:why can't my system reproduce snare well?

I looked at the album: it is CBS masterworks. Leonard Bernstein conducting French National Orchestra. Catalogue number MX35860. That is all the info I can glean from the cover.

The problem could be anywhere including the recording.

Of course, if tube gear, for good sound, always make sure tubes are in good working condition, and if vinyl/lp, any deficiencies in proper setup of the cart and/or mismatches between components in teh phono system could have ill effects on dynamics, etc.

IS teh stylus known to be in good condition as well?

So many things can go wrong easily just over teh course of time with tubes and vinyl in particular.

Of course, step 1 is still to know the recording and what to expect out of it as many above have alluded to.

I do have that recording on a "Great Performances" reissue. I have
several LPs from the CBS Great Performances series and have always been
satisfied with the sound quality and mastering. I just played it, paying particular
attention to overall instrumental balance and tone and clarity of the snare drum
in particular. On this pressing I found the the snare drum to sound exemplary for
classical concert snare--clean, full-bodied, dry (i.e., no discernible shell ringing),
with good body and tonal balance. It primarily emanates from the right channel.
I've played drums for 50 years and have played a myriad of snare drums
including a few professional orchestral snares, and the sound on this recording
is right on the money, and easy to hear on my pressing on my system.

Since the snare sound primarily comes from one channel, you may want to check
the L-R balance to make sure your channels are balanced. Also, good
reproduction of snare drum relies on phase coherence. I listen through
Magneplanar 1.7s, and while they're pretty inexpensive in this crowd, they *are*
phase-coherent, devoid of cabinet noise and resonances, and have excellent
transient response throughout the frequency range. Since your speakers combine
a dynamic woofer for the fundamentals with dipole panels for the overtones of a
snare drum, it could be speaker location relative to the room that is causing
some sort of null in your listening position.

You already mentioned you got some improvement with some cable changes.
Might I suggest you try some Transparent cabling? Their little black boxes seem
to help keep phase relationships and tonal balance where it belongs. I've heard
Transparent cabling in some delicately picky high end setups, always with good
results. I'm talking Wilson Alexandria XL/Alexia/Sasha spkrs, D'Agostino/Audio
Research/VTL electronics, and SME/DPS+Lyra turntable setups.

Elegal - did you listen to this track with your other speakers and find the snare muffled by comparison with the MLs, or is this just with regard to the MLs alone and not in comparison to other speakers? This is a critical question that has been asked before but as far as I can see has not been answered.