Should a good system sound bad with bad recording?

We can spend as much as we like on a great rig but it all comes down to the quality of the cd. A great sounding disc as a reference will show who has the best syste. Put a crap recording in anyone's rig and it will sound like crap.

hens and zar:

you are both right. there still is an issue as to how one would describe a "bad" sounding stereo system.

i have yet to see in print a description of a good and bad quality stereo system, other than accurate is good and inaccurate is bad. is it possible that many of us what want a stereo system to sound as close as possible to the correct instrumental timbre--as we remember it, regardless of accuracy considerations ?

is it possible that many of us ...want a stereo system to sound as close as possible to the correct instrumental timbre--as we remember it, regardless of accuracy considerations

Maybe, ultimately -- but from a hi-end consumer's point of view -- probably not.

It seems that many audiophiles choose one of two schools of sonic illusion (preferences changing with fashion trends of course)
The "Transparency" school: the illusion of the musical instruments being suspended in space before us, clearly delineated. Add a liberal measure of mid bass (often perceived and reported as "bass") and you;re there.

The "Neutral/ musical" school: "warmth" -- i.e. some prominence in the mid/lower mid range -- at the expense of ultimate clarity -- the latter seen as hearing every sound contained in the recording, however trivial or little. This is termed "neutral" because the prominence referred to above should not be due to non-linear distortion products...

IMO, YMMV, etc.

Nothing is perfect, not even your stereo. Just find what YOU like and all will be well. If you seek perfection, you will spend your days in frustration.

Arthur

I personally don't blame the quality of any cd. I do blame the quality of 'hi-fi systems' that can't make 'musical' sense of a cd regardless of price of ones' hi-fi, after all whats the point in spending bazillions on a system if It doesn't play all/any of the cd's and makes pleasing noises of what one puts in it? Would anyone buy a car that could only drive down an Interstate?

Zar-

As I listen virtually every genre of music, lots of it well produced, a fair percentage is of 'lesser' quality than for example most 'classical' cd's, should I buy a portable to play some of my cd's? and only play the best on my main system? When I audition hi-fi systems I only take 'lesser' engineered cd's, coz if it plays them well, It will surely sound good on any well produced cd. One of my particular fav cd's that pushes hi-fi systems to the limit is 'D'ya know what I mean' by Oasis.