I have what I would characterize as an internal bell that goes off whenever I cross my personal leap of faith threshold. Live performances/concerts that I have attended are indelibly etched in my brain and hence, serve as my reference. While I don't expect I'll ever come anywhere near to being able to satisfactorily/convincingly recreate in my home, the experience of a live symphony orchestra in a concert hall, I do however find my experiences at intimate jazz club venues, clearly attainable. For example, when I cue up saxophonist Bennie Wallace's, "Someone to Watch Over Me" CD, can I truly/without effort envision that I am sitting there at that front corner table, sipping on that great micro-brew and splurging on that absolutely sublime rib-eye, downstairs at NYC's Jazz Standard. What also helps is that we have a baby grand piano in our home. Though I myself don't play, two of our sons, ages 12 & 7 do, and as a result, I have come to know very well what a live piano sounds like. I'm afraid that many people who do not have the luxury of having an un-amplified instrument (any un-amplified instrument) regularly playing within their home, tend to forget what the real thing is actually supposed to sound like. I find the piano in particular, extremely difficult for many systems, irrespective of their cost, to recreate convincingly. Hence, when my system and/or other systems/components do a convincing enough job in portraying a live piano such that it does not require a leap of faith beyond my personal threshold, then I know I have a keeper! Live, un-amplified music---no better reference as far as I am concerned.
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?