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

I think sasha's main point is how the quality of components is secondary to how critical tacit knowledge/experience is to making hifi sound good. And, this is something I severely lack but am trying to make up for by experimenting like a mad man with wires wires wires!! and some components and other accessories ofcourse.

Funny thing is, I used to design and install home theater systems for the "rich and famous and they worshipped me" too. But, as I have quit that boring industry and have more time to concentrate on my own hifi system, I seem to run into more walls. I can't seem to make my system *click*. I am not sure whether it is because I have a more objective mind when I am spending other people's money or I am just too critical of my own system thus I lose my ability to just enjoy the music.

I must also say, I was under 17 when I started selling this audio stuff and my colleagues were all over 40 with some over 60. I would say their approach were totally different than mine. I sold the components based on technical specifications and the clients' needs, and the elder guys sold themselves.

Brucegel, do you agree with Sasha's contention that "the rest has been solved" except for realistic dynamic range? I would contend that realistic soundfield (including reverberent soundfield) recreation is at least as big a stumbling block to getting the real feel of live music as is lifelike dynamic range - and an even bigger challenge technically, from the recording, reproduction configuration, and listening room acoustics standpoints. (I'm really not trying to lynch Sasha here - I probably wouldn't have commented at all on his post absent the hosanna's - I just honestly can't see what makes you guys feel that it's so incredibly insightful, helpful, or even well-put...you reading, Sash?)

I also failed to see the beauty in Sasha's post... I thought
it was pretty lame. There are a lot of people here that
know whats going on and know alot about "cables",
"dynamics" and "system matching" tell us something we dont know Sasha? There might even be some rich and famous people around here?

What I sense running below the surface of sashas comments is a lifelong love of finding and trying to recreate a live experience of inner depth and beauty in the system synergy which is ultimately more satisfying than pure high endness of things.His comments if dissected sound weak,but I don't read them discreetly but rather on whole.As I write this Paul Galbraiths guitar transcriptions of the BACH violin sonatas/partitas is playing and says everything that sasha is getting at for me.Words really do fail to convey the state of grace that music engenders.

Ha! Bruce, I bought that disk and tried my best to love it for years, but finally gave up and traded it in - I just no longer wanted to listen to the machine-like playing, the intrusive breath noises, or the not-so-natural recorded sound of Galbraith's admittedly unusual instrument. Yes, the guy is an amazing virtuoso, and has put in a hell of a lot of work all the way around, but...I dunno, maybe I'd enjoy him more live, but I ultimately had to conclude that this recording was just never going to do it for me the way I wanted it to as a Bach-loving guitar player. Oh well :-)