If you have measurable amounts of distortion in your system, especially audible amounts, which get described in poetic terms by the 'connoisseurs of coloration', you will not hear the music. Even as much as actually got recorded on the source material. That is the whole point.
Reference earphones (Sure ER2: $100, tested and reviewed at www.linkwitzlab.com Reference Earphones link) can be used to hear the recording. THen compare to what you hear in the room, through your system.
Of course there is not much to be done about how the recording was produced, except be selective in purchases. If more were, perhaps the labels would restrain the overuse of those 1/4 million dollar, room size, mixing consoles, and requrire more of the engineers, in capturing more of what the artists create on their instruments.
BTW there is a list of tested and proven sonically superior reference quality CD's in a variety of musical genres at the MUSIC link at www.linkwitzlab.com
Reference earphones (Sure ER2: $100, tested and reviewed at www.linkwitzlab.com Reference Earphones link) can be used to hear the recording. THen compare to what you hear in the room, through your system.
Of course there is not much to be done about how the recording was produced, except be selective in purchases. If more were, perhaps the labels would restrain the overuse of those 1/4 million dollar, room size, mixing consoles, and requrire more of the engineers, in capturing more of what the artists create on their instruments.
BTW there is a list of tested and proven sonically superior reference quality CD's in a variety of musical genres at the MUSIC link at www.linkwitzlab.com