Do you trust your system?

I will always enjoy reading about all the different  versions of the same album mastered by different companies and individuals. I'll pick up the best version in the majority of the people's opinion and compare with what I already have and also with Qobuz and Tidal. Pretty cool when you start to hear the difference  and confirm with what others are saying. If you can  spot the differences  and agree with the majority of folks I believe you and your system are in the ballpark. 

I think that worrying about the performance of your system after you have dedicated the necessary effort to dial it in (which may take time) is a symptom of audio nervosa. That in turn leads to playing known good sounding recordings, just to be sure everything is OK, and robs you of the enjoyment of what the system might be capable of.

I’m confident that despite my efforts, somebody like a Jim Smith could do even more to make my system sing. I’m not talking about component mismatches or bad acoustics, which have to be dealt with (though I think some folks over treat their rooms, or get all spendy on wire and other tweaks that offer marginal improvements).

As to what is "true"-- who knows? One engineer who worked for Phil Ramone said in effect, you would not believe how much manipulation is required in the studio and mix to get something to sound natural.

I only really began to enjoy my system when I put the audiophile approved records to the side and just searched out new to me music. My baseline is the standard issue record, often from the '70s, not exactly a high point for vinyl in the States, rather than some special audiophile 1/2 speed mastered reissue pressed on an exclusive vinyl compound.

You can get stuck in equipment evaluation mode for years. Break the chains! Get it sorted to the best of your ability and then kick back and enjoy.

I’ve got quite a handful to maintain from tubes all the way through to linear arm with air compressor, and exotic cartridges. In some ways, I’m more aware than ever of the precarious nature of this fancy stuff, but I’ve developed an attitude that there is no reason why hi-end should be more fussy. And if something is wrong, I track it down and get it fixed. Nervous about it-- well, I am compulsive enough to want to sort problems immediately, and not let them languish. But in the scheme of things, it’s just equipment -- hopefully stuff that endures and doesn’t depend on out of date chips or other things that make a unit obsolete and unusable.

Most of my time and effort in the last 10 years has been on the records, rather than the gear, though I do maintain it properly. And it does bring me joy.

I learned that I could trust my system when I listened to many ‘70s and ‘80s recordings and every time I put on Dire Straits or Steely Dan or even Midnight Oil I was astounded by the sound. Goose bumps for sure. It doesn’t stop me from listening to the others , I just don’t listen to them when I’m in the mood to take my system out for a run.

Janis Joplin has always been a favorite, but finding a great recording including some 15ips RtR 2nd masters, sucked. It was better than what I had but it was just rougher than a cob.. They didn't dub anything they just recorded it. Good, bad, or wasted, it got recorded.. One recording I heard 5 zippo lighters slam shut through the recording.. 

Neurotic audiophiles scurry to hear if their system reproduces 5 zippo lighters.

I am wondering what question the OP is asking.  Of course I trust my system.  Different remasterings of recordings will sound different.  If his system is good enough to allow him to hear these differences, then it is doing the job