having worked for island records, trojan, and so forth, i can say "for all is worth" that most of all the equipment we used was never an issue on specs but more to do with the ear, from amcrom to quad to hand made and desings units, it was all left to the right trained human ear, mistakes were made on a lot of recordings due to heavy drinking and drugs byengeneeres, hence the near field monitors, infamous for creating high frecuncies so the master could hear this on his aproach to proceed with the finish produt, not everybody hears the same but there is a meeting point were satisfaction can be achieved with out compromise...