Quality
The word "quality" is a jello word that wiggles, bounces, and cannot be nailed to the wall.
To one person a "quality" sound has thumpy bass.
The next guy thinks plenty of stereo spread (incoherence) amounts to "quality" sound.
To me the best AM quality has razor-sharp voices (coherence).
Quality women are an entirely different subject.
I agree about voice presence and yes you can have a nice sounding experience in mono for example big band music.
I remember years ago listening to an old AM radio such as a tube clock radio or my uncle Wilbert's german-made radio call day Blaupunkt. Indeed that radio could blow away many solid-state radio of today. Even the FM reception was unbelievably select and sensitive. From Pontiac Michigan I could pick up stations in Cleveland Ohio on FM that only a car radio could pick up. Fact was I could pick up stations that weren't even coming in on a car radio right in the driveway I was blown away.
Let's get back to another reason for this General citizens broadcast service. This news just came from another forum on Facebook.
Another license down the drain. #14 this year is
WDCD 1540 kHz, Albany, NY voluntarily surrendered and canceled as of Sept. 28.