How do you get the "real" feel of music?

Without being a defeatist, let's just say that you will never be able to recreate in your home the experience of live music, it's just a fact of life. The better the system, the smaller the gap, but a gap will always remain. A better system, unfortunately, means more money. The good news is that the amounts bandied about around here are greatly exaggerated. Strange that you focus on percussion as being what sets real vs. recorded apart for you. I agree with you, though I know of other parameters were even the best systems fall short of the real thing. When I changed to a tube preamp, I felt the cymbals lacked that sharp, brassy sound on the initial attack and then some of the shimmer as the sound fades out. One thing that I can say is that you need volume to approach the effect of live music. For that you need a system that is dynamic, in the limited and true sense of the word, that is a system that can play at a realistic level the loud passages without distress. I would start with the speakers. Get the most efficient, best sounding speakers you can afford. If you go shopping though, don't be too impressed by tizzle, it will, in all likelihood, get to you after a while. Stay away from processors: they may boost the treble, but will surely add to your problems by introducing distortion, ringing and phase problems. Make sure the path from your speakers to your listening position is not obscured by furniture. Removing the speaker grille can help, if simply psychologically. Make sure that the speaker height is correct by using proper stands, repositioning them, so that the tweeter is at ear level when you are seated at your normal listening position. Make sure that your room is not overstuffed with, well, stuff, especially upholsthered furniture that can make it too dead. In closing, I have found that big, powerful, good quality power amps do wonders for percussion, my theory being that they can deliver the burst of energy required to properly handle both the thumping bass drum, the sharp attack of a snare drum and the metallic sound of cymbals, especially when hit closer to the centre, without smearing them into one, mass. BTW the other thing that clearly distinguishes live from recorded, to me, is the way notes just appear and disappear in live music: I always get the impression that even great systems are a step behind in terms of this. The initial attack and the decay of various instruments is simply not the same. Planars (some) seem to get that better, but at the cost of certain problems elsewhere. The other parameter that is given short shrift, is the ambiance and the need for more channels, but that's a different kettle of fish. Enjoy the music. Regards.

The "book" response is to replace your stuff with expensive stuff. Setting that aside, if you choose to stay with your current setup, you could try adding a signal processor of some kind. For example, a dynamic range expander might give you a pleasing effect. I remember a long time ago Phase Linear and dbx made expander/compressors for consumers. I don't know if anybody makes them any more for consumer use, maybe for pros. Perhaps a more accessible addition would be a graphic equalizer. While an equalizer would let you play around with the sound and choose your emphasis, I'm not at all sure that this will get you the type of result you're looking for. Lastly, it's a good idea not to spend too much time with Bose. Good luck.

Spend most of your money on speakers. It's 75%-85% of recreating that feeling.

No: In reality, there is no hope at all of getting the "real" feel of live music through your - or my - or even HP's - stereo system. But much as you may not want to hear it, I think you already know that you could come *a lot* closer with gear other than what you have listed - otherwise, you would not be hanging around A-Gon with the rest of us audiophools! But if that's simply not an option, then drop out and attend as many concerts as you can, and then laugh at us behind our backs!

I remember walking into the shopping mall, where group of old pensioners, apparently from some homes for pensioners amateur music enthusiast performed some old standard tunes. There was brass instuments, clarinets, tube and strangely couple of violins, viola and bass. This, half band half orchesta worked hard. They worked hard on it, and it could be heard and seen and they went on, and the conductor wasn't frustrated, just oposite he encouraged them and went on over the mistakes, pretending they were no mistakes and he absorbed it all. They did some old "stuff", like from "Guys and Dolls", and some not very memorable 50's work. I was about to leave, when familiar first couple of notes struck. Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 by Franz Liszt.
I stayed, and from the odball band/orchestra that minutes ago sounded like un-rehearsed school band, MUSIC emerged, with all the passion, fire and gamble. These old man, at that moment didn't think about their small pensions, broken dentures, skin cancer, doctor bills and their dead wives. The sons and daughters that called once a year were forgoten. They had it all at that magical moment. And I knew it and their conductor knew it and they knew it. It was the most beautiful live music event i ever heard.

Other than that i would suggest some ESL or planar, if you want to 'feel'.

Ok Beetle63 the first thing is you need to have a few drinks, after that your system will blow your mind regardless of what gear you have. Secondly depending on the type of concert your attending, there may be a certain amount of halucinogenic substances minlging with your air supply, which well make concerts seem oh so much more "special". But I wouldn't hesitate to have a few drinks and let it rip I have a feeling that may help you Cheers ~Tim