Perfect observation!The function of real music (for me) is to ignite the imagination. Yes, live music does have a component of "sonic realism", but to me that takes second seat to what universe of sound I'm getting connected to: what is the level of performers, are they good interpreters, are their instruments inspiring and alive, or is the "performance" just an empty show played by puppets slaving for money. As audiophiles, we tend to obsess about relatively meaningless envelope of the sound, and stay royally oblivious to what matters most (the musical content).
Today we have audio equipment that can force very high detail level out of the recording, along with the errors, additions and deletions, and transformations of the recording process.
To get the original live experience back, we would need a reverse transformation that undoes the nasties of the recording process, but the audio industry (by large) plays ostrich, and acts as if this huge roadblock would not exist, and play dumb dumb and forces the exact reproduction of the deficient recordings, which can only lead to a deviation from the original experience.
I find that _most_ current ultra-high end gear focuses too much on the enhanced resolution aspect, creating an illusionary sonic envelope that feels very much real, but also quite a bit different from the original source. It traps you in the superficiality, and shuts down the imagination, which is the exact opposite of what a live performance does.
So, by getting even higher resolution we might be getting further away from the music itself.... yet, much closer to an imaginary perfected sensory experience. A great and fun endeavor, but ultimately a form of escapism: adoring the shape of sound while shunning the message of the music.
Today we have audio equipment that can force very high detail level out of the recording, along with the errors, additions and deletions, and transformations of the recording process.
To get the original live experience back, we would need a reverse transformation that undoes the nasties of the recording process, but the audio industry (by large) plays ostrich, and acts as if this huge roadblock would not exist, and play dumb dumb and forces the exact reproduction of the deficient recordings, which can only lead to a deviation from the original experience.
I find that _most_ current ultra-high end gear focuses too much on the enhanced resolution aspect, creating an illusionary sonic envelope that feels very much real, but also quite a bit different from the original source. It traps you in the superficiality, and shuts down the imagination, which is the exact opposite of what a live performance does.
So, by getting even higher resolution we might be getting further away from the music itself.... yet, much closer to an imaginary perfected sensory experience. A great and fun endeavor, but ultimately a form of escapism: adoring the shape of sound while shunning the message of the music.