When did you ever hear a system sound so life-like

Many years ago I used to walk past my neighbour's house every morning and evening on the way to the bus stop. Sometimes in the evening, I can hear their son practising on the piano. He is quite good, but not concert pianist good.

One evening I walked past and the unmistakable sound of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata came singing out to the street. I stopped and listened, it was so good that a passing jogger stopped and listened as well.

I thought no more of it, then the next day heard him practising the Hammerklavier. But this time nowhere as good. I knocked on the door, and it was only then that I was told that they had taken delivery of a new sound system!

I am liking my system right now. The biggest improvement would be the Merlin TSM's. Right now I am saving up for the VSM. I can't even imagine how they will sound on my system. The album I am listening to is Getz Au GO GO on Japanese Vinyl. The Telephone Song sounds very convincing and intimate through the MC275 or 100.2 and Merlins. The Merlins are just absolutely incredible speakers for the money.

I have never heard a system sound like the real thing.

A pair of Meridian 105 monos, a pair of KEF 105s, an Oracle Alexandria, FR tone-arm with a Dynavector Ruby cartridge set up right and you've got live sound!

there are literally hundreds of thousands of great (and not so great recordings) that contain fantastic music. any one of them can bring any loudspeaker (at any price right back down to earth.

Dear Pedrillo: I think that what you ask can/could happen to many of us under some special circumstances and depending on our each one experience/knowledge with live/real music evnets.
Our mind could be foolished with audio performances when we heard it off-axis, with some kind of recordings and as I say: de`pending on our each one experience/know-how on live music and musical instruments.
I never had that kind of experience where I " suffer " that " confusion ".
IMHO if you are and have deep experience in live music it is impossible to " suffer " a mix-up/confusion on-axis an almost impossible off-axis.

The sound of a live instrument performance is unique and with no single factor that could make we be confused about.

There are many characteristics in the sound of live music but at least these ones IMHO are unique and till today impossible to achieve in a home audio system ( I heard more than 100 different systems ranging from 10K-15K to 500K. ): the attack and transients, dynamic, full music " presence " , non-distortions/colorations/noise: REALITY!

How can we be " foolish " with those specific live music characteristics?

Some one posted that a recording is " different " from a live performance: well it is not only way different but a live performance IMHO is way better.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.