Andy Evans wrote:
Whatever any theories about 'absolute fidelity' say or don't say, back
in the real world some things about systems stand out - with some it's
bass, treble or mids, others it's transparency and detail, and so
forth. I'm one of those guys who's always been very sensitive to the
timbre of acoustic instruments, having been a musician for many years,

That's surprising; most musicians end up
with partial deafness!

BugBear