Steely Dan (Fagen & Becker) were definitely into high quality/audiophile sound reproduction aided and abetted by their longtime engineer, Roger Nichols who was a nuclear engineer and all around creative genius.
Beginning with the GREAT “Katy Lied” album, they used ultra high-end audiophile equipment (Audio Research vacuum tube amplifiers driving double-stacked Magneplanar Loudspeakers) to mix the studio tapes.
“Aja” and “Gaucho” were the pinnacle of their high-end audio sonic quality and, IIRC, Elliot Scheiner assisted Roger Nichols in recording & mixdown.
Fun Fact: Elliot Scheiner was the subject of the song “Hey Nineteen” when he dated a 19-y/o girl during the Gaucho recording period. He also went on to design the sound system for the high end Acura cars.
Wow, another great musician of my youth passes. Will have to fire up the Maggies and spin the hot platter of “Aja” in tribute to Mr. Becker. R.I.P.
Aja is used by studio engineers to this very day as a reference for dialing in their ears.
In 1991 I found myself working for HiFi Buys in Atlanta and took on a roommate to help with expenses.
One day I came home and found him listening to my CD of ‘Aja’ and he said, “This really sounds great!”
I said, “You should hear it from the album” (saying ‘vinyl’ at that time wasn’t a thing)
He squawked, “Wadda ya mean? Nothing can beat a CD!”
I got up, pulled out the record, put it on my Dual TT, moistened my Dishwasher brush with fluid and placed the Micro-Acoustics MA 2002e cartridge onto the run in groove.
Sure we heard a little thump as it settled down, and a little noise until “Black Cow” issued forth.
I watched my roommate’s jaw hit the floor when a much wider, much taller, much deeper soundstage issued from my modest Larger Advent speakers.
That ended any talk of CD’s “superior” sound.
And boy....what a record!