Recording as Artifact

@kevn 

Yes, you got it.

OP, "...Could it be since you’re not going for the ultimate in detail you don’t have to spend quite as much on components?"

Unfortunately, I would say no. Getting gobs of detail is pretty easy. Getting gobs of detail, with the right tonal balance is harder... but getting the gestalt, midrange bloom and sound staging is really hard. It isn't that the details are missing, but they are in the soundstage in proportion without being presented with a bump in treble. 

I like good sound. But once this is said even through bad recordings some artistry transcend any others well recorded version. This is exceptional but i had many personal exemple.

Sound and music are one in the act of making love when we listened we dont separate them ,but as soon as silence come we can easily spot which pertain to sound and which pertain to music as a specific resonance in our heart/body/soul/spirit....

No  good recording will beat for me the bad recording of a genius interpretation...

I had too many example to give just one here at different level of not so good to bad recordings  concerts. 

 I never ever look for good recordings, i look for masterpiece of music, well recorded (i prefer it well recorded as anyone here ) or not. Because i listen music conveyed by sound not to sound conveyed by music...

To give a paradox but a true fact with a true experience: my best ever interpretation of Liszt miraculous "Vallée d’Obermann is not well played in the traditional sense and i dont listen to it for the "sound" ...

«A volcanic eruption dont need to be well recorded my dear»--Groucho Marx 

«Neither the silence after dawn need any recording»--  Harpo Marx

"A volcanic eruption dont need to be well recorded my dear" --Groucho Marx

Good one, Great quote 

But just for fun I must add: although for my home theater I want it nuanced bass down to 10hz