Quality system, make poor recordings sound better?

There was a very nice and interesting interview on KCRW a Los Angeles local NPR station regarding high fidelity, audio quality and audiophiles on 11/18/2014. It was very informative for those that may want to listen.

http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/design-and-architecture/high-fidelity-with-henry-rollins-ma-yansong-comes-to-l-a

Henry Rollins described how younger people are not experiencing the full range of the music because of the poor recordings and poor quality MP3 and CD recordings and how better systems reveal the poor quality of some recordings. This is to my point regarding poor quality recordings and how some systems will unmask such recordings to the extent that it is almost unlistenable.

The interview also was good in that it described system quality and how moving up the ladder in equipment enables one to experience the music in higher detail and quality. He had I believe at least five rooms in his house with various systems and his master system had over $300,000 of equipment, including the top-of-the-line Wilson Speakers.

One thing that he said that I appreciated, was that he admired and didn't bash McIntosh equipment, but praised it for longevity and quality.

take a listen, it was a nice interview for our love of music and hobby.

enjoy

Mapman, I think you brought a very good point in regards to clipping and its true certain kinds of music begs to be played louder. I think we have all pushed are systems on occasions just to see its capabilities because certain recordings can be more demanding on a power amp than others. Generally I can hear when an amp approaches its limits but I think some amps if their not of good quality (as you mentioned) seem to lose their composure as the volume is cranked up. I do have very efficient speakers so not too much demand is placed to reach a desired volume level.

maplegrovemusic & charles1dad,

Yes my experience is similar to yours, and yet the better recordings show up the lesser ones. As a whole as the system improved, even average mixes sounded better.

It partly depends on why a given recording sounded bad. Was it overwhelming the limitations of your system, or truly a poor recording? 

 

A better, more revealing system will allow better recorded records to sound even better, while showing off more of the flaws in a recording. You're going to get good and bad. A lesser system tends to mask flaws. 

 

Better systems not only will reveal more harmonic detail, but well give you a more layered and detailed soundstage, and a greater variety of dynamics, from very small to very large. You'll hear a greater difference between recordings.

My experience is the same as many of you...

If the system/room improve all albums are more interesting Why?

Bad recorded album stay bad recording and well recorded stay good compared to the first....

Yes, but all acoustical cues choices by the the recording engineer become more evident and audible and we are more interested now by the relation between the music and the acoustical cues fabric cloth that reveal it, like a more adjusted piece of cloth on a body....

it is better than more details emerging, it is a new soundscape...

But nothing will change a bad recording in a good one for sure...

The difference is you will no longer listen good recording because the bad one are so bad... All will be interesting and in the best case you will forgot the recording ,bad or good, and enjoy music without be frustrated anymore...

It is my experience...

When i begin my journey few years ago i was picking my listening way more in the well recording category than for the music itself... My system/room was not treated and not controlled at this time... No more now....