Thats two different things. The role of a component - say an amplifier is take an input signal and multiply it in the voltage and current domains perfectly. If the artist wanted you to hear it a different way then he should have reflected that in the recording and not expect it to be in the playback equipment. If he did so then the accurate equipment would play back that recorded intention accurately. If he didnt put it on the recording thats his problem. Again if the engineer mixed for a walkman that again is his problem. If your kit reverses those transformations then it will also apply the inverse to a properly mixed recording. The only sensible solution is accuracy and engineering otherwise it just descends into voodoo.

Accurate means signal in equals signal out subject to certain scalings that do not effect frequency or phase or transfer function.