Originally Posted by
DSJR
Compression has been used in one form or another since the early days of tape recording I understand, since neither the recording or playback machinery can fully reproduce a full dynamic range. orchestras often self-compressed, under-playing the loud passages and increasing volume of quieter ones. They did this right into the digital era too apparently.
In the good old bad old days of the 50's and 60's, the tape was often the main limiter, the recorders allowing the tape full reign. I understand simple compressors such as the Fairchild one could give the audible impression of added "punch" to pop singles for example, rather than the horrible gain-ridden "squash" used subsequently in the solid state era.
My simple advice is this - if a main US artist, look out for original US pressings. That goes for US-popular Brit artists too such as Robert Plant for example (TML or Stirling cuts in the case of Mr Plant). UK cuts done on tape copies of US artists (Steely Dan are an infamous one from "my" era) often sound weedy and lacking in comparison.
I could go on ad nauseum, but would bore the pants off you. Just try to find a good record shop if you can and try a few samples - Epic in the UK often knackered their stampers, the bass distortion on later pressings from the same stampers sounding awful when compared to the early pressings...
One final thing from the vinyl era... The better systems and deck-setups tend to render the EFFECTS of compression and distortion much less objectionable. You're going to hate me, but the Chario's I've heard and sold are warm and slightly soft in delivery as I recall. Add this to a beefy sounding tonearm and an ancient generator in the P77 (similar body as the famous A&R ones I believe) giving you a beefy bass with a recessed treble and you're going well on the way to bloat (where the annoying area of bass distortion and compression often lies)with an overly soft treble that fails to sparkle..
Just some thoughts from a distance and obviously, I cannot hear your system...