What is a high end stereo SUPPOSED to sound like?

To my opinion, high end stereo should be looked at with two aspects: high end + stereo. High end is for someone with a lot of money to spend. Being put at a fancy room for appearance appreciation. Stereo is stereo sound for all of us to listen to our favourite music whenever we have time to relax. Fedility is a personal perferrence. Just like singers in American Idol final, they are all good singers but the winner is being judged. Your own system is being judge by yourself. If you think further, violin plays a note is a note, but there are some famous violin outt here cost you a lot more. Why.........

How about:
- Let's you listen to the music and not think about the stereo.
- See the trees in the forest more clearly.
- Good spacial qualities.
- Largest difference heard between recordings.
- Less error.

Like listening to my Citation XX without your first point:)

You know you've got your system right when your guests stop saying: "Man, your system sounds great!" and instead, they start saying: "Good grief! Those GUYS sound great."

That will never happen in that context, probably never has. I've got direct to disc recordings of acoustic jazz that you could swear sound absolutely real and the response is even more so about the gear as a result. It's always about the gear and how well or not it performs when it's your hobby. But of course you appreciate the music. It's what drives the hobby. So what? No apologies