For You: THE most imprortant element...

Most important is accurate retrieving of low level musical information. Without? Musicality and sense of ambience and space, is lost.

Actually, I think your's is the first comment I've received on my A'Gon alias Paulwp :). I thought it doubly appropriate given the forum topic here and the fact that I tend to lurk more than post (though I am *not* the phantom -2, -2 lurker-rater ;).

Fpeel- you hit it right on the money; though I hate getting up to go to work the next morning. I just don't seem able to stay up into the wee hours like I used to- getting old I guess :).

I am with Ken. The timing cues that let you sink into or be swept up in the music are critical and unfortunately misunderstood alongside the more obvious issues of detail, dynamics and neutrality.

This is a real thought provoking thread; one that really makes you think about sound reproduction. We really do have a long way to go with sound reproduction, I mean really, we don't have 3D speakers which let you really hear the entire event, or for that matter, components that truly represent an actual event. We are fairly close, don't get me wrong, but we have a few years to go.

Certainly, we that are interested enough in this site and in sound reproduction strive for the best we can, through better components, tweaks, etc., and of course it's the music that really matters. I know that we all have better sound that you will at an amplified event. Yet, when you listen to a live trumpet, does it sound like that at your home? (Sorry, I'm a huge jazz fan). A trumpet "live" in a small jazz club hits you with an impact that is amazing. It is such a powerfully macro dynamic instrument, yet, so powerful in micro dynamics. Dynamics, micro and macro, along with a true 3 Dimensional soundstage, (with non phase anomalies encountered with current multi-channel), may be what takes us to the next level. These for me would help with the emotional impact of the music.

Things have come a long way, but oh, what the future may bring ...

Very good points. When I see live music, it is usually dynamics that I am most aware of as the thing that is missing from our home audio systems. I mean, it's not even close! I can understand the resurgence of interest in horn-based loudspeakers