If you were serious about sound you would...

I totally concur with your post...

I think we are on the same  communication  level about the importance of acoustics then...

Thanks for your precision...

@mahgister It won't be long, my guess in 1.5 years that AI will completely changes the home audio world. Some smart company will use a group like the AES/EBU and record companies to agree on a baseline standard for acoustics. I believe that surround sound will be the norm and there will be an objective baseline in small room acoustics. AI will change everything because the most important aspect of good playback is acoustics, I'm bias because I started in acoustics but if you look at experiments with acoustic devices (passive not DSP) they can make even cheep speakers sound amazing. When this happens great systems will still be great and produce the emotions that we connect with in music and movies but there will be a standard and people will understand that expensive huge playback systems are a train without tracks.

@mbmi

Are you aware of the fact that many years ago, when the Armor all craze was popular, reviewer Ken Kessler got in a lot of hot water for endorsing the practice when it was found to be harmful to CD’s?

If you want to use a surface treatment on your CD's  there are better and safer alternatives, such as Auric Illuminator. 

I also use that method . I've been Armour- Alling all my 500 cd collection since 1989 and only enhanced the sound , never did one penny of damage...if "damaging"  Enhances soundstage...nullifies sibilance,  tightens base, brings out fine details, and just Improves the sound of my system.....Then that so called "damage" is welcome......And you're smart enough to know Why the talking heads poo- poo ed this idea......

@mbmi  Ok this is going to sound weird but why would you do anything to change the sound of your CDs, here’s what I’m saying, imaging being wider doesn’t mean it right and imaging is really a phasing principle that makes the sound hit your ears at different times, you could introduce a digital delay that hold the signal and then enhances right and left "imagining" easy, you don’t want to change your music you want to get everything out of it you can. Now note how many people on this forum say imaging, tighter bass and such does that mean it is correct, there is no way to know unless you use standardized equipment. You probably didn’t mean to but you showed a good point in my argument. Best

OK....Time for some schooling : A cd has information on the disc that is READ by the laser and then it is fed back into the Receiver in the cd player that takes that information and turns it into music...THE PROBLEM with cd’s is that they are mass produced and under a microscope their surface is extremely PITTED....Still with me?.......The Armour- All fills in the crevices and pits and make a smooth shinny surface so when the info on the disc (Music) comes back up to the READER , It’s NOT diffused and scattered ....You’re only getting 85-90% of the info back to the reader......Fill in the PITS and the laser is clean and direct and receive 97-100% of the information (Music) that’s on the disc.....Just try it and you’ll agree......It’s a beautiful scientific and Musical thing and Armour-All will PRESERVE , not destroy you’re discs. It’s not a widely published Fact because there’s NO $$$ in it for the reviewers or companies.....Don’t knock something that works until you’ve tried it !!!!!!!!!!!