The one that has always had me thinking about exactly what is meant by its use was this: the difference between the performance taking place in your room versus you being transported to where the performance is taking place.
Just the idea of this (the distinction) was confusing to me. That is until I heard Ray Kimber's ISOTEK? recording of a male choral group played through four channels of Emmlabs digital/Pass Labs amps/Sony speakers at this year's RMAF. For the first time in my admittedly limited experience, I was completely and utterly transported to the stone church in which that recording was made. It was stunning. The singers were there in front of me and the physical dimensions of the room in which I was listening disappeared and were replaced by the walls of the church.
Prior to that experience, the best I could say is that on rare and successful occasions, a small ensemble, say bass and piano, solo cello, or simple vocals, was pretty believably being performed in the room in which I was sitting, and often in my room by my system.
Both of these can be quite remarkable, but now having experienced each clearly, I understand the distinction and think the former is much more difficult to achieve and probably a better goal for which to aim.
I have not tried to explain any of this to my non audiophile friends. They view my interest in audio about the same as they view my interest in competitive indoor badminton. To most people, music is about MP3, Bose and badminton is about plastic racquets and backyard barbecues.
Just the idea of this (the distinction) was confusing to me. That is until I heard Ray Kimber's ISOTEK? recording of a male choral group played through four channels of Emmlabs digital/Pass Labs amps/Sony speakers at this year's RMAF. For the first time in my admittedly limited experience, I was completely and utterly transported to the stone church in which that recording was made. It was stunning. The singers were there in front of me and the physical dimensions of the room in which I was listening disappeared and were replaced by the walls of the church.
Prior to that experience, the best I could say is that on rare and successful occasions, a small ensemble, say bass and piano, solo cello, or simple vocals, was pretty believably being performed in the room in which I was sitting, and often in my room by my system.
Both of these can be quite remarkable, but now having experienced each clearly, I understand the distinction and think the former is much more difficult to achieve and probably a better goal for which to aim.
I have not tried to explain any of this to my non audiophile friends. They view my interest in audio about the same as they view my interest in competitive indoor badminton. To most people, music is about MP3, Bose and badminton is about plastic racquets and backyard barbecues.