Please remember that there's not a system on the planet that can sound
exactly like a live performance. All systems are a series of
compromises and there's no system or component that offers an absolute
reference vis a vis live or "acoustic" music. Different components and
systems have strengths and weaknesses that can also be judged by
"non-acoustic" music, especially since there's precious little music
that hasn't been processed electronically in one way or another (and
I'm not *just* talking about the physical act of recording either,
which imposes its own "signature").

JA once made that point to me -- that if a recording reveals a difference
between two components, it's useful. I see the logic, except that we aren't
as much interested in differences as we are in which one (if either) is
closer to "correct".