the problem with trying to establish a reference is there are no standardized methods for making a recording. yes some aspects of the process are nearly universal, but the final product is determined by a combination of intent of the artist(s), producer(s) and engineer(s), and everyone has their own goal in mind and gets there in various ways using different equipment and recording space. the best one can hope for is that the process is influenced by artistic and creative goals rather than financial.

in regards to amps and wire, there are really no mysteries there as far as far as science is concerned. these are known entities that can be made to do whatever the designer/manufacturer wants within the limits of physics. its microphones - where compression is introduced into the recording, and speakers - that cannot reproduce a waveform with true fidelity, that science has yet to fully figure out.

given that construction and material are of good quality, does wire matter? to the objectivist, differences in wire are going to be less significant than to the subjectivist. imo, neither point of view is more right or wrong on the issue. i've gone down the wire road long enough to believe that we are making a mistake and get side tracked when we start listening to the equipment rather than listening to, and enjoying, the music. the former leads to frustration, the latter to satisfaction.