Applause sounds terrible on my system also, harsh and noisy. I am glad you wrote this post. But I am surprised by your comments about live recordings, David99. Many of my favorite cds are live. I love hearing the ambience of the room or hall. Imaging is more realistic, and I get a very real sense of a live event. I just listened to Ricki Lee Jones' "Naked Songs". It is amazing. It sounds like I am there in a small club. Or the "Three Tenors". I love the recording. I can hear the open air, a summer night in Milano. Some other favorites are Lyle Lovetts' live album, The Mountain Stage series, Eva Casidy, live, MFSL tribute to Steve Goodman, Keith Jarrett....all live. I could go on forever. I actually look for good live recordings. I find them more involving.
Applause: Bummer
Now that I have a rig I can call a "system", I often find myself looking up from a book or the computer or whatever to pay attention to a particularly involving musical passage. Finally, it ends and I think, 'wow, that was just right', or 'jeepers, Vladimir or Dizzy or _______ was right here a moment ago'. But if it's a live recording, the applause always brings me down. Never, not once have I heard applause on any audio rig that sounded like hands clapping. Baez "From Every Stage", Dizzy "An Electrifying Evening" and "Newport II", "Jazz at the Pawnshop", Horowitz at the Met", Clapton "Unplugged", nada. Am I opening the gates to hell pursuing realistic applause? Is it out there at $50,000 per? Should I care? Have I ruined anyone's day?