Should a good system sound bad with bad recording?

I think a good analogy here would be a high-definition television. You feed it a low-res source like a vcr and you will regret it. Feed it a nice hi-def signal and it is outstanding.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that your individual goals should be considered. One has to understand, that with the ultimate resolution of playback equipment, lesser quality material will not be a pleasure to listen to. This is a price to pay, in most cases.

I try to strike a balance somewhere between hi-rez and musicality, although it is tough to achieve so I think my system leans more towards musicality now, although about 4-5 years ago, I couldn't listen to a less than perfect recording and about 90% of my music collection was just collecting dust. Now I am able to play almost any cd and still enjoy it. Not all of them for critical listening, but at least these discs don't drive me out of the room like they used to.

HELL YES! What. Are you new?

I once tried to answer a post similar in context to this and really couldn't find the proper words.

The exitement, involvement, and surprise brought out by a "good" recording on a well balanced system is what I want. You hear a tune you like on the car radio, buy the CD or vinyl, play it, and are just astounded at the depth and texture you didn't hear in the car. But the best recording of music that I don't like is not going to do it.

So I fudge.

I have some nice recordings in genres that I like and it is taken up a notch with better resolution (always in a balance that I prefer). And I have some old recordings and some new highly compressed or pourly recorded or mastered recordings that I like that I play through a less resolving CDP and cables. I will even move speakers drastically to enhance certain aspects of certain recordings for fun.

You end up adjusting what you can to enjoy the music you like. It is not static.

I remember reading a set of posts on adjusting turntable tracking force and vertical alignment based on a specific album, with notes on the best settings for each record written on the cover for adjustment every time it is played.

Jim S.

gentlemen:

what does the word "should" have to do with audio ? it's not law 9or ethics. its aesthetics, in which case subjectivity rules. a good system will sound like whatever its owners want it to sound like. there is no absolute good. it's all personal opinion.

it doesn't matter waht a stereo system sounds like as long as it pleases its owner. the words good and bad are irrelevant.