I absolutely favor what Chashmal says about selecting the best performances, although I am sure he would concur that it's not always possible, the best equipment notwithstanding, to "bring" those interpretations to a level of sound reproduction that our ears or tonal tastes would be willing live with. In more than a few instances, I have sold classical collectors' items that have excelled soundwise but not given me the kind of interpretive fulfillment I have longed for. Fortunately, I've encountered relatively fewer instances when I could not live with the sound of a recording(bright,sharp,peaky or muddy)despite its possessing the kind of performance I truly liked.