Being a musician, I have 30 years experience playing and recording music, so I am very familiar to say the least with what "live" music sounds like. It also helps that I live in NYC, which allows me to attend many concerts of all styles and sizes. I lean towards speakers that have huge soundstage capability, like Avalon, Audio Physic, Aeriel, even though I have B&W Nautilus 805's myself, (an aesthetic compromise). The emotional response to feeling as if you are in the same room or at least in the playback room is what I look for. Even an amplified live situation often allows you to hear some of the original source, instead of hearing only the P.A. system and that is what I like to feel like I am hearing. Funny, I have been giving this some thought myself lately. The DCS upsampled CD's through the Avalons' does it for me. I haven't had the chance to hear a great system using a turntable for a long time, but the superb quality of the SACD format reminded me just how much fun I used to have listening to records.
What is your reference?
What is the reference by which you judge the sound of a component or a system? I see a lot of confused posts here, and listen to a lot of equipment at all price levels that sound phony, which leads me to believe that a lot of manufacturers and consumers don't really know what music sounds like. I am starting to wonder if many buyers of expensive equipment might actually prefer an artificial, hi-fi sound as opposed to something that approaches real music. I know that we are seeking a mere reproduction of the real event, so don't give me that babble about "nothing can duplicate..." That's a cop-out by those who can't hear or have given up trying. What is the aural image you have in mind when auditioning audio equipment? And what recording best represents that image?