System that sounds so real it is easy to mistaken it is not live

There has been some discussion about the new Magnapan LRS+ and matching full range Subwoofer as closely sounding like live music, presented at the Montreal HiFi Show. I haven’t heard but would certainly like to.

Discuss Maggie LRS+ & matching Sub

There are certainly differences and pros and cons in both camps, so comparison is challenging at best.

Binaural recording of a live performance at 192/24 with zero mixing and mastering tends to sound pretty convincing on decent headphones.

a live performance will not sound like even the most expensive systems. They just do not sound alike.

Um. Complex topic.

As many have noted, few systems can reproduce the dynamic range of live music, especially near field.

But overall the biggest limiting factor is recordings. Recordings vary from terrible to very, very good - but few are in that later range. Some are poor on purpose (compressed for playback in noisy environments and on normal systems). Most never strive for audiophile or prioritize speed, fancy production effects, etc over purity.  They may sound artistic but never "real".  Others are just not perfect. Either way i maintain the recording itself(along with mastering) is the single largest/most meaningful variable. The room and setup may well be next, and few even TRY to get that right.

I have heard a few systems with huge speakers (one was IRS-IIIs), with master tapes or similar, and 100s of watts per channel, in a decent sized room. That came close. For smaller jazz bands and chamber, my system can sometimes startle - but its pretty pricey and tuned (if one looks at market prices...) as well.

But again, it really comes down to the recording. I’ve been startled, as have others with both analog and digital BTW. Those who demean digital sinply have not gotten it right - it has faults, yes, but so does vinyl.

G

I've had neighbors ask, "Is this the house where the band lives?" Imagine Miles and Trane living in my house.

Nope. 

No. The purpose of listening to music in my designated listening room is not to try to make it sound like live music, rather it is to enjoy a much more intimate connection with the music right in front of me without any worldly interferences. Peace!

@esputnix , Yes, it can be done and in many cases improve on live sound. Others here disagree with me but I have been chasing this gremlin since I was 13 years old. As others here have already mentioned reproducing the dynamics of a live event is the most difficult problem. It requires a subwoofer system much more powerful than is usual. It also requires main speakers with extremely fast transient response and a lot of power. Other important factors are an appropriate room, avoidance of analog crossovers using digital ones if they can not be avoided, group delays need to be corrected and the frequency response of the entire affair needs to be perfectly flat in both channels to start (or as close as one can reasonably get). I then boost the bass at 3 dB/oct below 100 Hz. This is to create realistic dynamic force at lower than ear shattering levels. 

We all develop our own way of going about this and I think there are several paths to nirvana. I have heard three systems in 50 years that I would consider to be state of the art and capable of fooling one into believing an acoustic instrument was in the room and only one that put you in the 10th row of a stadium rock concert. Two of then were/are based on electrostatic main speakers, one on dynamic speakers.

I think the hardest thing to do is getting the room right. It helps a lot if the room is designed specifically for two channel high fidelity playback. This is an option most of us do not have. We have to work with the rooms present in our houses. Although you do not have to buy the most expensive equipment out there to succeed it is still not a cheap endeavor. Forgetting about the room you are talking about spending at least $150,000 if not more. Many of us simply can not afford that much.

On the bright side you do not need a system that performs at that level to enjoy music. You can do that with earbuds and your telephone. 

I have heard the Great MBL 101  speakers and  electronics ,it is better then many live events I have been to !!

I hate live music, I hate crowds, I would have PTSD if my system resembled live too much

Yes, if you go with all pro equipment that is designed to play live and loud sounds good for music and okay for everything else, but for music nothing beats the pro lines of products, have to know what you’re buying because there are also some scams but not as much as in the home hifi for I hear most systems can’t play loud so I would like to know where is the worth in a system that can’t play loud. For a system that can play loud can also play low so kudos for if you want live sound you need to go with live equipment 

No.  So we're all wasting our time here.

No stereo can truly reproduce the dynamics and volume of live as @lewm states above. If you like how your system sounds stick with it chasing "live" sound is a losing battle. And @atmasphere That literally made me laugh out loud thank you.

I was at a live concert recently -- no amplification -- that made me wish I was listening to it on a stereo. Church acoustics and seat position can be very very bad. Live music is not always better.

No. However, I'm happy for you.

Delusion and disbelief are good friends to lean on.

Nope.... 

Have you ever listened to a stereo system that produced a sound that would make you believe it was a real live music or live band performance at front of you?

No. But I have experienced sounds coming from the stereo that had me thinking someone had broken into my house and was mocking me prior to axing me to death by singing along with my stereo. That caused me to swivel my head around pretty fast- and no-one was there! Spooky.

 Very few if any audio systems can capture the dynamics and amplitude of live music in an intimate setting. That’s a worthy goal to pursue as you grow your system. Otherwise what’s the question?

Post title makes little or no sense.

My answer is no save an LP on Naim gear playing piano in the 80’s.