Dear Roger:
Now that the sacred cow of high amplifier power has been butchered, I'd like to address another of what I think is a misconception: That for high-resolution systems, poor recordings will sound even poorer (garbage in, garbage out). Well, let me qualify that statement. I listen to many great recordings of the past, going as far back as early electricals from the mid-1920's. To take one example, the 1933 recording of Beethoven's "Egmont" Overture with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Furtwaengler. On my system, it sounds very clear and impactful, lacking all the faults we associate with old recordings. Certainly, it is lacking at the frequency extremes, but what DOES come through is very lifelike and musical. On the other hand, certain reissues with excessive filtering do sound pretty awful. I guess what I am saying is that with a good music system, one should not discount great performances from the past.
Ralph
