It was purely by accident, but one of the best things that ever happened to me was attending large-scale classical concerts and opera performances well before my obsession with high-end audio, and continuing through the years when I had the most gear. It was transparently obvious that no audio system could possibly replicate the experience of a live orchestral or operatic event in a large hall with good acoustics. Accordingly I never expected that from my audio gear, then was often pleasantly surprised by how well it did with classical LPs.
In ’74 or ’75 I somehow landed a gig as an usher for the Boston Lyric Opera Company’s weekend performance of an opera (whose name I forget) starring Beverly Sill. This included rehearsals and evening performances in the Boston Opera House. Given the work, I was able to hear all of this from an ever changing assortment of spots in the hall. I wasn’t yet immersed in audio then, but I was immersed in music of all kinds, and this experience was unforgettable--especially the opportunity to meet the gracious & friendly Beverly Sills and tell how beautiful I thought her voice was...