Isn't it really about quality of recording?

@rumi

Thanks for your perspective on recordings. Valuable to hear.

Personally, for years I pursued the latter “good” system… scrape details with lots of slam and over the years switched to the kind that makes all recording sound better… although there were a few early rock that sound like tin… and just cannot be salvaged. But those are rare.

@rumi 

Thank you for your post!

@rumi,  This is exactly why I draw a line regarding how much I'm willing to spend on my system.  I think it is worth purchasing equipment that is one or two levels higher than the typical studio.  No use forking out $50,000 for speakers to reproduce sound that was captured on a $100 mic, or $1,000 for cables to playback music that was recorded using basic patch cables.  Your speaker cables aren't likely to be the weak link in the process.

@rumi,  This is exactly why I draw a line regarding how much I'm willing to spend on my system.  I think it is worth purchasing equipment that is one or two levels higher than the typical studio.  No use forking out $50,000 for speakers to reproduce sound that was captured on a $100 mic, or $1,000 for cables to playback music that was recorded using basic patch cables.  Your speaker cables aren't likely to be the weak link in the process.

If it makes you happy to take this approach, then that is all that counts but when you go to a live show the musicians are using cheap cables and most often moderately priced mics and monitors and most venues have mediocre sound systems and yet magic can happen desptte all of that. Likewise in the studio. I have some vwry good recordings from indy bands recorded in a home studio. In fact, the days of elaborate studios among the likes of Abby Road or Muscle Shoals is long gone. But despite the prevalence of home studios (some of which ARE relatively elaborate) some very fine recordings miraculously get made. And an awful lot of crappy ones. 

In light of all the hi tech hi end solid-state creations with all their fancy circuitry it's surprising there has been no discussion comparing the merits of tubes and solid state or hybrid (whatever the heck that is, I mean where did draw the line in terms of how many tubes are used before you say hybrid).  I say this because really good recordings can be really screwed up by very sophisticated highly revealing overpowered sound recreation boxes. A big clue to me is how fatiguing it is to listen to music sometimes and I never remember it being this way many years ago.

In my eyes the best systems have the simplest circuitry with the best parts and I am leaning toward the tube side which tend to be more old school and less harsh. I've always viewed all the solid state fancy circuitry creations as a way to torture the delicate analog signals. I've never understood why a very reputable manufacture can offer an upgraded component that all of a sudden has found a way to improve dozens of things within their boxes. Really? And why now?

b&w speakers have undergone all kinds of technical improvements and I am perplexed as to what the heck they r doing? And I own some B&W speakers I like them, the newer ones seem dreadful.