Can a great system make a mediocre recording sound good?


I spend a lot of time searching for well produced recordings as they (of course) sound so good on my system (Hegel 160 + Linn Majik 140 speakers).  I can't tolerate poor sounding recordings - regardless of the quality of the performance itself.   I was at a high end audio store yesterday and the sales person took the position that a really high-end system can make even mediocre recordings sound good.  Agree?

jcs01

Showing 1 response by tomcy6

It depends on what you consider a great system. A system that is euphonic makes poor recordings sound better but does not make good recordings sound as good as they can. You may tire of the euphonic distortion (usually boosted second and third harmonics which the ear finds pleasing) over time.

A system that is accurate and transparent while still being musical, not analytical, will let you hear how bad those bad recordings are but will let you hear just how good a good recording can sound. If you listen to a lot of bad recordings you may tire of the accuracy of this type of system.

I find plenty of good recordings in many different genres of music, so finding something to listen to that sounds good and is musically enjoyable is not a problem for me.