Bad recordings and high end audio


Hello. Have decided that the kids are out of the house and I can dedicate some space and money to my long ignored hobby. What is different now is there are so few audio stores. I firmly believe in listening to products so thus I start this great new chapter of my life. The first 2 stores I went to the people were very patient with me and I listened to a ton of combinations. They asked me did I want to hear anything else and I said  yes, ummm,.. how about Led Zeppelin? I received the same response from both stores which was “all Led Zeppelin recordings are horrible” except for this one version of Led Zeppelin 2…blah blah. So I said what happens if I am at home and i have a desire to play Led Zeppelin or another perceived poor recording? They did not have an answer for me nor did they play Led Zeppelin lol . I ended up ordering a pair of Magnepan 3.7i’s from a different store. 13 weeks until I get them, ouch. I am going to guess that people do listen to poor recordings on great systems because you just want to hear a particular album, right? Or am I missing something? Just looking for a bit of insight. Yes, I know they want it to sound the best so I will buy it but is that the only motivation. Or maybe they hate Led Zeppelin, lol.
daydream816
@arcticdeth. Thank you! I think that is great advice. I do believe I will develop a side hobby in search of the best recording of the music I want to listen to as described by others. 
After purchasing a new component, I employ what I call the “crap” test as seen in the following post on another forum.

https://db.audioasylum.com/mhtml/m.html?forum=amp&n=103667&highlight=Crap+test+DeeCee&r=...

The follow up thread comments were also interesting, although they focused mainly on my then new passive line controller (as opposed to the system as a whole).
I love the Japanese shm-cd and the spec-II(2) cds
they seem to have a warmer sound, or tone, as compared to reg editions.

 I have the original epic Boston self titled cd, and the Boston Shm-cd.
the shm-cd is so much more relaxed, extracts better resolution, the guitar and vocals are so warm, and deeper in tone, it just envelopes me more, Brad Delp’s vocals are so flawless, he just .....

lone of the many CDs to make the hair stand up on my arms and neck.    I love the Japanese CDs, they take pride in their recordings!

 Minus those scorpions CDs from a few years ago, which the treble is so high it hurts. 
 Now a days, that I can afford them, and such, I try to buy the Japanese CDs ONLY if they have the extra songs, which I missed for the past 30 years. 
  Waiting for the Gary Moore Spec II CD “how blue can you get?”
I have a rip from a cousin, but, I will compare the 2, I’m sure the Japanese cd will be far superior than the cheap usa/uk cd version

  also, for the collector metalheads,......


 Sodom genesis cd is being re-released on shm-cd format. With additional tracks from the bombenhagel Ep (3 songs)%

I bought the original version, which pisses me off, that a couple months after the initial release, they release another version w bonus songs!

 Just release 1 version!
this gets me po’d as a huge Sodom fan and collector. 
   Met Sodom at Milwaukee metal fest years ago,.through Sabi Sabev, he’s a good guy, bought ton rare stuff from him. 
@arcticdeth,

"I have a box of old demo tapes I traded with several buddies from the U.K., including Shane Embry from Napalm death, whom I met through trading addresses from metal maniacs, metal edge, and hit parader magazines in the 80’s and 90’s!"


My brother also met Shane Embury back in the late 80s. Shane even signed a £10 note for him which he kept taped above his bed.

After Napalm Death folded my brother then followed Carcass for a while. Those were days when you could stand and chat afterwards with the likes of Shane Embury and Bill Steer.
I always mean to ask my brother for the name of that LP (Tankard?) he used to play back in the day.

It was one of the very best recordings I've ever heard - tons of dynamic range and great clarity throughout.