Is a highly discerning system enjoyable?

@erik_squires 

Funny you should bring up U2 War.

Always loved that record, until I bought a first UK pressing of it.

Realized that I’d only ever listened to it in a car, when the tracks happened to show up on the radio. Worked so well in the car. Not so great in my home set up which at the time was a tube integrated (Cary SLI-50) going into Decware DM946’s from a Clearaudio Concept.

Going to revisit it with the current set up which is completely different. DIY heavy plinth Lenco into upgraded Cary SLP-30 pre to DIY Hiraga Super 30 class a to DIY Seas coax sealed enclosures. 
 

Will be an interesting revisiting of War as this is a more revealing system, but also more musical to my ears than the previous set up.

@erik_squires 

Too bad. More I think about it, the more it seems like an incomplete idea

FWIW, listening to Talking Heads, and it sounds fantastic! Night and day compared to War. 

Got home after a few days away.

Yes, got my copy of War out and listened to it on the current set up.

So much missing in the production. Preferred it in the car…

Tried listening to it on two different systems. My main set up, as well as on a vintage set up I’m playing with. Ariston RD11S, Marantz 2230 and Dynaco A25’s.

Main system far more revealing, and showcased the complex production that lies hidden in all that upper midrange. Vintage system did not reveal all that detail, and because of not revealing it, kind of made it into a bigger jumble of noise.

The problem I have w this recording is how there seems to be a heaping amount of mid/lower midrange tone that is missing. It’s missing in both systems.

But given the choice, would rather hear the clarity in the detail, than not.

Just my experience with one recording as I explored this questIon.

@erik_squires 

Could be so very much better sounding. I get the raw quality to the production. But there is something very engaging by the layering of the sounds in the mix. So that kind of brings the raw quality of the production into question, perhaps they made a bad decision. 

Yeah, drums sound terrible, and it sounds like the mic was put inside a tin can for the vocals. 
 

If there was ever a recording that could benefit from a remastering, War should be on that list. 
 

Production kind of reminds me of how Chicago’s Greatest Hits sounds. So much “stuff” going on in the mix, but oh so very bright and lacking meat. This was from a Rhino re release. Then I read up somewhere that the 77’ Japanese pressing was apparently the one to get. Got ahold of a copy and man, what a difference. 
 

Anyway, think I prefer the system that is more revealing. At least I get to hear what they did w the mix. 
 

Perhaps I’ll drag my Cornwalls out and try War w those, though I doubt that will be any better. Adding a 15” woofer ain’t gonna matter if there ain’t no tone there to amplify. 

@erik_squires 

And great, now I have to pull out my copy of stop making sense…

Also a 1st UK pressing. 

@erik_squires 

I may need to listen to another copy/version. This is sounding very dynamic to me?

Perhaps it’s just because I just listened to War previously. Although, I was playing Depeche Mode Delta Machine in between, which has an insane amount of bottom end…

@erik_squires 

Yeah, on vinyl. Been keenly listening to the drums on Talking Heads, and I’m feeling like they, and the percussion are well balanced in the mix? 
 

Im now wanting to pull out other live recordings so I can listen to the drums :)

Oscar Peterson “The way I really play”, Japanese pressing up next. 
 

Regardless of mix etc, forgot how much I liked the Talking Heads. So thank you for that :)