McIntosh C1000 tube pre vs. ARC Ref 3?

Sincere question; how can anyone know if something has been added or subtracted from the recording, or if your equipment is accurately reproducing what was originally recorded?

Without having been at the concert or recording session for comparison. I look for how natural instruments and vocals sound compared to my experience to live music. Most folks have a good feeling for what things sound like in real life.

There is no way to tell on overproduced and massaged recordings, but when listening to purist recordings of single or small groups of instruments and vocals you can get a feeling for how close to real they are sounding.

I know it is not scientific, but I know that my system is getting much closer to reproducing the essence of the performance and the realism of the vocalist and instruments.

Stesom,
Thanks for the illumination...seems obvious now and further listening will have an educational component... keep the recording simple and get out more!
John

I have a Mac 220 pre (Ayre V1xe,Silverline Grand La Folia, Ayre CD5xe) and a friend have a Ref 3 (DIY Orion,ATI amps, Reiymo CDP). We changed preamps for some days. In my system ref 3 has more warmth, more bloom and a fantastic big soundstage almost like surround. Mac was more accurate, more neutral and it has tone controls (which I like). I sligtly prefered Mac thinking that ref 3 was to warm. But I still missed that big soundstage.
In my friends system my Mac was clearly superior giving a more accurate and correct sound.
The 220 pre cost about half as much as the ref 3 so I think it is very good value. I have not listen to the Mac 1000pre.

Ulf - interesting. I have learned the most by swapping gear with local hifi buddies. What preamp did you replace with the C220? What other preamps have you tried in your system? Thanks

Arthur