I'm on the same page as you in regard to what makes a good recording. I don't necessarily like a "polished" recording. I do shy away from live recordings. I have a couple of Crusaders CD's that have a presence I like, they have their faults and Joe's electric piano sometimes distorts, but there's something about the recordings that are enjoyable. One is live but I'm not sure about the other.

Under #3 you make an excellent point that I overlooked when posting. I used to use Lionel Ritchie's Can't Slow Down as a demo CD and I noticed on Penny Lover, for instance, that on different CD players the background singers would be in a slightly different place. The equipment used for playback does make a big difference in the presentation.

By the way, you have a nice system.