What in the world is going on.....


My system cost about 75000 dollars or so.  I got the rave review LP of the new Paul Simon album.....sounded pretty lousy.  I listened to the included M3P download using AirPlay through my Denon receiver and Senheisser wireless earphones, and it sounded wonderful......   What in the world is that all about....
128x128stringreen
Ry Cooder is alright with me. I can appreciate different styles, from acid jazz/rock fusion to classical, the entire range. No country music for me either, that I can understand. But some of even that style can be okay, I just won't listen to it. I strongly dislike Hendrix as well, but his influence was very significant. Not as significant as McLaughlin's, though.
Talking about taste in music is interesting. I can appreciate a great performer even if I won't listen to that music. As an example, I don't like opera much, but don't say that Pavarotti or Carreras can't sing, that would be nonsense. Or, you may not like McLaughlin's music but overall he is the most accomplished guitarist this world has ever known. Paco de Lucia, though in much narrower musical space, comes close second. Or, don't say that Miles Davis was technically incredible -he was not- but his music is very special and his influence on so many styles is great.
The best Ry Cooder's album is Paris Texas soundtrack.
Also recommend to check Buena Vista Social Club.
We did move far away from Paul Simon. " Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down ". Pretty well said.
Maybe George Cardas snuck in and changed all your cables to his while you were sleeping ! 
Frank Zappa pointed out that musicianship isn’t a "pushup contest" and he was right. Also, It's a well documented thing that the brilliant John McLaughlin was astonished and influenced by his friend Jimi Hendrix (as was pretty much anybody else around at the time), jammed with him in NYC, and when Miles asked him about Hendrix he took Miles to see the Monterrey Pop movie in 1969. Miles was also blown away by Hendrix…the rest, as they say, is history.
"This has been one of my complaints that as your system evolves (improves) some poor recordings sound worse "

eh?

surely, everything should sound better, no?
All depends on the recording. They can make good ones if they try. I have the LP of "will the circle be unbroken" and have listen to it since the 70s. Years ago I got the CDs and they were unlistenable. Then they came out with a remasterd version and it was very good. I had the same with a Glen Gould piano recording. It all depends on the care given. I was listening to "jazz at the pawn shop" the music is not great but they set it up in a jazz club and recorded live and it is better than almost any more "advanced" recordings. I remember a recording engneer who wanted to have a simple mike set up but the producer wanted several. He put them up but did not connect them. Afterward the producer said "see, the extra mikes made all the difference". I can remember setting up some speakers that the coustomer insisted HAD to be biamped. So I put 4 in front of the speaker and powered them up but only connected 2 of them. He really liked it but I made the mistake of showing him what I had done. I never saw him again. Don't fool mother nature!

No, no! the better the system the worse bad records sound. The sound is accurate so you hear it warts and all. When I was a dealer I was often ask for a system which makes everything sound good. It is easy to get a system that makes everything sound the same, BAD!

I have heard things on my car radio that sounded great but bad on my system. You just don't expect to hear that much on a lesser source and your ears fill in the rest.  A simple system just gives a different experience than a complex one. In Japan they use to gather a group of untrained listeners and had them listen to music with buttons indicating whether they liked the sound or not. In every case they preferred the less accurate sound, this is one reason records sound bad, they are designed to appeal to untrained listeners. I once had a record I really liked; when my system got better I could hear that it was not that good. 

I have always liked Burl Ives. He didn't have much of a voice but he could put lot of expression in singeing. 

I would be considered crazy by most but I still think it is over the top to pay a high price for a piece of wire. I know that there is a difference but the law of falling returns comes in somewhere. I have a very good system and was a moderator at a good forum and was very good at buying  equipment from the ones who had to have the latest thing. I only spent $30000 or so but it still sounded very good even compared to the ones who had spent far more. Cardias gold reference was good enough for me.

Sounds like you have not invested enough money into your system. $75K is a drop in the bucket.

A drop in the manufactures bucket, not your bucket.
Spend, Spend, Spend, Spend.