Interpretation

As the title of this thread….interpretation comes first. A great performance will always matter more than pristine sound, especially in classical music where phrasing, tempo, and emotional intent define the experience. That said, sound quality becomes increasingly important once a certain interpretive threshold is met.

If I find multiple performances that are musically convincing, I tend to gravitate toward the better-recorded one, as it allows the nuances of the interpretation to come through more clearly and ultimately heightens the overall enjoyment.

It occurs to me, if we don’t consider our hobby,  listening to music should be like watching a movie.  When I’m watching a movie, I seldom consider the quality of the print.  It’s the content of the movie that’s the main attraction. The picture quality is merely a bonus.  Only rarely do I listen to music that way. I wish it was always.

i guess that’s why we’re audiophiles.

I would place interpretation over sound quality, but I like to get both.

My one-stop-shop for advice and purchase is Presto Music | Buy classical & opera CDs, DVDs & Blu-rays. They often list hundreds of versions, sorted by 'best' first, with review summaries from respected sources including Gramophone, plus track samples.  You can order physical media. You can stream from them too.  Look for Recommended in the listing.

  Audiophile status is a transitory active state for me betwen my first complete "ignoramus state" and my actual passive audiophile state of being :

Listening music without being bothered too much by sound and anyway with no money and no knowledge and no time to adress it  was my first state..

Then with a budget, time, and studying and experimenting being an active audiophile whose goal is aimed to reach what i called : M.A.S. T.  (Minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold) ... This threshold ask for four optimization processes : mechanical,electrical,acoustical & DSP ...

 Once this M.A.S.T.  level is reached i became a passive audiophile and a more active musical lover  happy on all counts ...

This is my actual state... I always enjoy interpretation over S.Q.  but i can appreciate the two when they meet... They often meet ...

But nothing certainly not recording quality will make me put aside for example the greatest interpretation in my book of Liszt pieces, so badly recorded they were, and they are ...I listened to them time to time over most well recorded one  anytime...

Emotions is not sound,but through it, shine  through  bad recordings  as the sun shine through a fabric veil ...

Sound Quality is the primary for me. 
 

There are plenty of good performances and the difference between the historical best and modern is not significant to me. 
I spent time and capital to assemble my system and it delivers wonderful sound and spaciousness. I can’t tolerate anything but the best sound quality from a recording. Just me I guess but I understand those who put interpretation first.