Does someone’s opinion affect your opinion?

You need some new friends.....

+1, @roxy54 

Another way to settle this quandary, go listen to his system. After which, you will know if you need to tweak or leave your system as is! 

btw,

Cartridge/Arm: Complete Proper Alignment?

Do you have the skills and the few tools to be assured all is physically correct for best results?

1. listen 'as is', that's what your friend commented on

2. double check/re-adjust for 'even better' than you were already hearing.

Well, your friend may be an ___ or a ____, but ’piercing’ has been let out of Pandora’ Box..

Once your confidence has had a hole drilled in it, it’s time to do your own critical evaluation, with music you are very familiar with, re-acquire assured love, restored confidence: or, hear what you might have been unaware of.

i.e. what familiar music do you take to audition equipment with? Among others, relative to your friend’s ’piercing’ comment:

I play Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams, which contains a lot of revealing highs. Helps mr make decisions when using my Tweeter’s L-Pads. Oh, that was there, very nice, or Jesus that’s too much.

https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Dreams-Are-Made-This/dp/B077KGZ4L6/ref=asc_df_B077KGZ4L6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312035320559&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12275656870279818732&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003526&hvtargid=pla-437902975081&psc=1

Also: Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer Duet: No More Tears, Enough is Enough, the individual distinction of their voices is wonderous when revealed by a great cartridge/system.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165150427655?epid=3144194&hash=item2673bb8a07%3Ag%3A0V8AAOSwwkdhcwt1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAABAHpBMEqZNHqJYBhE%2FXLgEKxOcZfdh%2BDjbyTnhe3OGesXIg1kIlO0yAp9k%2Fi1d3puXB5CJyNvsc0tvB%2B8ezjqYrK9wL629Onqbbab550nX%2BZM21yyy66tc3Z%2F3n0wLVTwkZc4j9WWusgcHfNjVxBTLKB%2Fu3b1zpBBPy6wMr7x8Dik9JAfWTPeQECvO%2BpCRN6kQpaZ4rpid2pZ2KVG6PVMoWZ6rjIJrMN7K%2FRvX8Co5yvF53odgGjHkNTuDYNlyUAlGk7vLB31RFe%2BPJ9VOOJcFbeYEjvHIEjSjIiE9%2FeiXmjnDCaz3K51Xbx6dUJ0SKx0xLtoMBiHsUKvDKevNhoIrbw%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bqyMW8Yg&LH_ItemCondition=3

Piano, content with full range. Violins,

Both of those, or music you are familiar with are enough for you to either fall in love again, or, hear something you never focused on, I’ll be dammmmmed, there is a piercing quality I missed, or he’s full of shiiiiiiiiiittttttte

OTHERS:

What content suggestions to reveal ’piercing’ OR ’wonderful extension’???

Opinions are like a-holes; everybody has one!

Stop reading equipment reviews for the opinions usually expressed in the last paragraph.  When I occasionally read reviews, I stop once I have reached an understanding of how the thing works and what might make it unique or at least worthy of further investigation.

You need to remember that his ears and his mental perception of sound are completely different than yours, and even if what he said is 100% accurate for his ears and perception, it has no relevancy to your perception of the sound that your system creates.

Relax, and continue to enjoy it as you did before.