Steve, my reference to 'of this era' concerned specifically early stereo recordings which, to all intents and purposes, were 'modern' recordings made under state-of-the-art conditions of the time. How good those conditions actually were is attested to by the fact that the microphones of that era are still widely used and heavily in demand, fetching extraordinary prices. For those who think they can do better than the original production teams, the existence of stereo of course obviates the need for 'ambient stereo', and so it boils down to several other effects as listed in my original post. 'A tasteful restoration', to use your term, ultimately boils down to 'taste', and here's where it all becomes purely subjective. In my second post, I indicated my preference for studio originals rather than some re-hash because, frankly, having been in the game myself I can hear all the restorers' sonic ruses and that greatly detracts from my listening pleasure. Indeed, when I reviewed for MWI I commented on some weird effects with HDTT releases, particularly their descent into silence below about pp, presumably through over-zealous use of noise reduction, which can also remove musical and ambient information. Working as they often do from nth generation consumer tapes as sources, btw, is starting with some pretty dirty linen.

What do other people hear and prefer? I really don't know, but there are some strong clues. In my younger days immediately post-graduation I sold hi-fi at an up-market store, catering especially for the classical music clientele, and found how easy it was to press older customers' sonic fantasy buttons. If I couldn't convince them with the very best the equipment and recording industries had to offer, I'd simply crank up the bass for more 'warmth' and 'authority', and the treble for more 'air' and 'clarity', and Bingo! instant sale.