What is a high end stereo SUPPOSED to sound like?


I've been thinking about this for a while....like 10+ years. Would be interested in what others have to say.
My latest answer would have to be "nothing". I want to hear the music and not the stereo. Like "Come over and listen to some music" versus "Come over and listen to my new stereo". If there are errors, they would be errors of omission, not commission because I assume they are less noticeable.
cdc
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
Makes you think you could walk into that amorphous acoustical shape in front of you and listen to what you hear from in front, behind and to the sides.
Ideally a high end stereo should sound so musically natural and complete that one stops thinking about the next upgrade and just enjoys the music. A musically natural and completely satisfying system should allow the listener to enjoy the lousy recordings as well as the the audiophile bon bons.
My rig I'm sure will still sound great. Will it have something new added? Perhaps some more music.
A great sound system should be utterly transparent. When the music is dynamic, it should make you jump. When there's real bass, you should feel it in your chest. When you close your eyes the speaker location shoul disappear.

I think my system does pretty good- so good in fact that a guest who wasn't aware that a system was on, asked who's playing a sax-