What is a high end stereo SUPPOSED to sound like?

I like Onhwy61s take on it. It's a different angle but it does address the OPs original ruminations. One needn't have an expensive, high end system to feel the soul of the music.

Audiophile issues aside, the emotional response one gets from a song or piece of music is independent of the quality of the gear.

Granted, a highly resolving system is most welcome and would be icing on the cake and we can all agree that once you've heard better, going back is hard. But is it necessary? No.

All the best,
Nonoise

nonoise, experiments reported in stereophile years ago, confirm your position.

it would seem that the issue of the designation "high end", is irrelevant to the enjoyment of music, especially if the latter is the reason for having a stereo system in the first place.

Mrtennis, true.

We all got into this hobby just for the enjoyment of being able to enjoy music for musics sake.

It's only when we learned of better ways to achieve that goal that led us down the path of our present condition.

All the best,
Nonoise

Since we have now defined what a high end system sounds like, maybe we can decide when or at what price point does the high end begin. For instance, for a system consisting of speakers, amps and a cd player, assuming an adeqate room and wire etc..., using MSRP for new equipment, how cheaply can you enter the 'high-end'?

Thanks for the responses. I'll admit to being pretty confused right now. On the one hand, my experience and that of many people I know confirm a stronger emotional response when listening to great music on a great stereo. Perhaps the message is less blurred or perhaps it's a more compelling, less distracting experience. It is a more transcendent experience that adds emotional magic to what was already an emotional response based on the song itself. On the other hand, many smart people here make a case that the total emotional response and the quality of the stereo are independent of one another and they have never experienced a different response to a song whether played on a boom box or a fine stereo. I'm very puzzled since I am now hearing two different things from different groups of people whom I trust. That's OK. No need to resolve the differences. I'm puzzled by many things in life.

That leads me to some questions though. Apart from the pride one achieves by doing things right and solving the difficult problems of compiling a great system, is this hobby strictly a cognitive exercise? Improving systems simply moves toward certain sonic goals without any change in emotional response to the music being played?