It's Simple

I think there is engineering protocol and it has mostly definite parameters. And then there is the real world. They both effect each other but are not exactly the same because engineering cannot conceive of every complexity although it does extremely well thankfully. A reason why we have some nice systems.

@ieales

By recorded music I mean the final format that is used in a consumer system to play back. This is long after countless engineers have busted their asses trying to capture being in the room with the artist.

Faithfully reproducing the recorded signal at the output can be comparatively measured using test equipment. Another great qualitative measure (using our ears) on digital audio is to pass the recorded music from DAC to analog and then back to digital via ADC and then looping this a significant number of times. Each circle around the loop results in a small loss in fidelity. A higher fidelity component will be able to loop more times than a lower fidelity component before any audible differences are heard.

good read.  Unfortunately it is not as simple as LRC.  Faithfulness to phase and amplitude is important and aspects of LRC are important, especially reactive LRC relative to its affect on phase and amplitude. There are probably other factors that are important, such as IMD, etc, and some we do not know about or how to measure them.

simple, nope, not even close but once someone works it all out then it is probably simple.  until then...

I am fine admitting that I am no expert. But I have develped a theory of a sound system, which I describe as the “limiting variable” theory. It works for me. In my limited experience, my system will usually sound only as good as the quality of one or two limiting variables - the amp, pre-amp, speakers, the cables, the source, etc. When I introduce a new variable, it usually makes a difference, sometimes good, sometimes not, but very rarely none at all. If it makes a positive difference overall, then I move to the next limiting variable and change or tweek that component, cable, etc. If it makes no difference, I conclude that the limiting variable lies elsewhere. It is not scientific, but it works for me quite well. Sometimes my system hits a plateau, and it just wont improve with what I have. That is when I know that I must move up in overall quality for everything. But, even then, I usually start with one variable - significantly better speakers, for example, and start the process over again. There is not a perfect correllation between the cost of a component, cable, etc. and whether it is or is not a limiting variable. Some bits just sound better with other bits. But, when a bit makes a strong, positive difference, I conclude that its predecessor was likely a limiting variable.

I guess that is a long-winded way of saying that the higher quality my system is, the more a simple thing like a cable improves things, or the opposite. For my system and ears, I have found that to be a consistent reality.