Distortions that the human ear likes. Are there any ?

@nonoise  interesting stuff.  Yes there does seem to be a prevailing feeling amongst those on the pro side that audiophiles are there to be humoured and tolerated. There there my dear!

Whether we like it or not the most important decisions are made on their side  - not ours. Until perhaps one day we may be allowed digital access to the original tracks to mix them down to our own preferences.

Regarding authenticity, I'd be with the families on that one. I want period sound but in as high a quality as possible and as close to what the artists were hearing as they recorded it. We're talking about historical art in many cases.

Unfortunately I doubt that even in 2019 we're hearing Nat King Cole the same as he heard himself in the Capitol studios way back in the 50s and early 60s.

Intentional artistic distortion (ie many Beatles recordings from Rubber Soul onwards) = good. That's what the recording artists and their teams wanted.

After market distortion (mastering choices done by engineers years later and those defects added by loudspeakers, turntables, amps etc) = bad. You might like them but the original artists, producers, engineers etc might disagree. 

Or they might not, especially if enough money rolls in as a result. Ultimately it all depends upon what you the consumer wants to pay for.

@tatyana69, you're not the only one sceptical about the use of record player pucks.

Adding weight directly above the main bearing seems counter intuitive to say the least. On so many levels. 

I think the Rega and Technics decks get bearing/weight ratio just about right. Neither see the need for pucks.

A touch of reverb almost always seems to be universally preferred. The so called singing in a tiled bathroom effect.

I wonder why? Could it be that it somehow makes us feel safer?

Or is it some otherworldly dreamlike quality that we like.

Even better than real life?

Perhaps that's why Pop music has been processed in some way or other for decades. Some of the artists have enjoyed more than a little vocal assistance.

@atmasphere  a good reason to bring back the live v recorded demonstrations that were popular some 60 years ago.

Without an absolute reference as a comparison, testing gear is like shooting a randomly moving target.