The bookshelf system sounded better - because YOU were younger :-)
I suspected/feared this for a while but after some work (and luck) with room treatments I'm now thinking that the "great sound of my youth" was more a function of willingness to put up ugly room treatments than age. I hope.
Getting tempted to drag speakers and electronics outside before the snow starts falling and see how things sound without the room getting in the way.
Maybe I'll compromise and drag everything out to the deck, now that I have a deck (yay).