Can Bad Recordings sound Good?

[MetalNuts]

Can bad recordings sound good? I think they can and it is also true for good recordings can sound bad.  It depends on 1. the system itself whether it can honestly and accurately replay the recordings without adding color and favorites; and 2. the subjective preference of the listener's of what is good or bad, such as louder is good, deeper bass is good, soft and muddled channels, instruments separation is good.😀

[MetalNuts]

3 hours ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

If the system " honestly and accurately replays the [bad] recordings without adding color and favorites" won't a bad recording then sound bad?

(we know your answer Frank)

what about the 2nd condition of what is bad/good subjectively in the mind of the listener and why on earth people like 300B amplifier.  The particular coloration is considered good by the listener.  Recording being mastered to boost certain frequency may be considered by some not balanced and not natural but some may consider it very hi-fi.  The good for you may be the bad for the others and vice versa.  No point arguing when it involved the subjective preference of individual.

[MetalNuts]

45 minutes ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

okay, no need to dance around with your clever answer...oh, already see you're doing that🤣 - BUT if someone subjectively considers a recording bad, to be internally consistent, they would also consider the same qualities subjectively bad on playback

If before listening, some already formed the opinion of it being a bad recording, what is the point of listening?  It is my experience that the quality of the recordings (same ripped files in my NAS) changes with the changing of gears.  Some may become better, some may become worse and some may remain the same.  That's the reason I go through my whole or most of my collection when I change gear.  Despite preference is subjective, one must have an open attitude in the valuation.

[MetalNuts]

30 minutes ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

 

Agreed but that's not the question

 

perhaps this is due to swapping one coloration with another or perhaps just as likely moving towards greater transparency hindering and helping differently. hard to know

Overall, more becomes better than worse, I attributed it towards better gears.  At the end, I think it is a mind game, so if I want to improve in a particular aspect, then I changed gear supposed to be good in that aspect, so may be deep down inside, I expect (and may be biased) improvement toward that aspect.  So it is hardly an objective opinion.  However, I absolute agree that the source must be as accurate and no coloration as possible, otherwise, it is even harder to tell whether the recording is good or bad.

[MetalNuts]

5 hours ago, bluesman said:

Second, many music loving audiophiles are quite familiar with the specific instruments played by their favorite artists in any genre.  They know what is being played and what it sounds like live because they’ve heard it live.  From Oscar Peterson’s Bosendorfer to Miles’ Martin trumpet to Wes Montgomery’s L5 Gibson, jazz lovers know.

 

Not necessary by their favorite artists.  If someone plays or has learned to play a certain instrument, for example, acoustic guitar, then he would know what it sounds like and from that memory, he can tell whether the recording reproduced closely to the sound of an acoustic guitar and from that he can tell whether the recording is good enough.  However, may be only the guitar sound is good and the other instruments are not. 

 

Once upon a time, here in my place, some magazine reviewed an album and commented that the electric guitar sounds good and based on his comment, I bought the album and the recording is not bad BUT it is not an electric guitar but simply a classical guitar.  OMG!🤣

[MetalNuts]

1 hour ago, jabbr said:

You've hit the crux here. There is no universal definition of "good" vs "poor" recording. The Chandos might new newer, have higher SNR or dynamic range (I don't know just using these params as examples) but might be lifeless and dull because the underlying performance is lifeless and dull compared with a much older recording from the 1950s of a much more dynamic performance

 

Yes, I have the same opinion about Chandos despite some of their albums have awards of this and that.