Can a great system make a mediocre recording sound good?

@jcs01

I have found that as your system gets better with better equipment, what you thought was mediocre gets better too.

The problem with the "garbage in = garbage out" argument  is inaccurate  . IE, What happens when you pour pure water into polluted water? The pure becomes polluted also. This is what happens with mediocre systems. how do you know that the mediocre music you hear is a product of a mediocre recording or mediocre system?

The only way to know is if you hear it in a great system. But who takes their mediocre music to a $100K system? Few, if any

@gregm 

If by mediocrity you mean bad mastering, I beg to differ.

If it is really bad mastering then sure, I agree with you. But how do you know unless its heard and verified by a great system? But even then, I suspect it will still sound better than with a lesser system