there is much to be said for taking problem recordings, digitizing them, removing the problems, then burning them onto a CDR for future listening. then there is "tone control courage." case in point is the 1999 columbia rerelease of the famous 1938 all-star carnegie hall jazz concert which has abysmal sonics, conventional tone controls/EQ weren't up to fixing it, so i ran it through CEDAR declicking and decrackling with judicious restraint, used parametric EQ to get rid of the telephonic coloration those old transcription discs were noted for, mild digital NR/spectral editing to get rid of the hashy surface noise and chuffs. BIG DIFFERENCE.
Is a highly discerning system enjoyable?
I argue that in terms of musical enjoyment, connection, feeling the musicians and composers maybe a highly discerning system is going too far? Maybe I want the warts airbrushed out. Maybe I like a system that lets me listen to a broader range of recordings without whincing?
Then there’s systems which are discerning of performances vs. discerning of upstream gear. I personally feel they are not the same thing at all.
Lastly, if your room is an acoustic mess, how can you tell?
If you feel strongly either way I'd appreciate examples of the gear that made you go one way or another.