How close to the real thing?

I think Albert Von Schweikert did a demo of his VR-11 vs. a live performance group at one time back a couple of years or so.

An old trick, often used at shows, such as CES. Go near some expensive demo
and throw some spare change up in the air. When it hits the ground heads will really turn. Reality is so much more complex than any reproduction.

If we were to take a bad transistor radio into a tunnel and get bad reception but could still determine that we were listening to a recording of a piano, would that not be a very low percentage of the real thing, perhaps 1% for the sake of argument. Than if that same bad mono radio gets a clean signal, let us call that 2%. The sound of a basic car radio with a stereo signal on FM radio of a piano on a classical music channel, say 3%. Then a big BOSE radio gets a 4%. Surely an entry level stereo of good components gets a 5%. See where I am going?

Surely the very best ultra high end system in a great room with a great recording, say of a master tape on a R2R of a Mozart piano concerto would be greater than 5%, no? Vinyl, SET, horns, take your pick.

Such a demo was conducted at RMAF for a select group of reviewers in the Magico/Spectral room. One of those in attendance told me that after the performance ended and he opened his eyes, he actually had to familiarize himself with his surroundings because he temporarily lost himself in the experience of the performance, it was so close to convincing. Maybe not the real thing, but surely getting closer.

what perspective is 'real', sitting in the middle of the orchestra or 40 rows back?

I personally like the 'first 5 rows' type of recording (as opposed to the 25th row...), so sometimes a recording is MORE enjoyable than sitting in the audience - assuming the mics were close in and my hypothetical seat is not in the first rows.

I was recording a concert lately, with my mics right up by the musicians, and I ended up listening to the concert through the headphones instead of 'naturally'. I could crank it up, and it was like I was next to the instruments (bliss!).

(and it sounded even better at home, since my headphones are crap and the home system is nice...).