What is a high end stereo SUPPOSED to sound like?

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-

When attending a live performance that isn't hyped up with an amplified sound system, a full classical orchestra for instance, or a small, intimate jazz trio or quartet, we don't think in terms of soundstage, transparency, imaging, low noise floor, etc. We just become absorbed by the music, and perhaps recognize how relaxed the sound is compared with our home stereo systems. A great sound system in the home should give us a some of what we hear in that live performance. I doubt if we'll ever get there, but it's fun striving to achieve it. So, a great home system let's us suspend disbelief from time to time and just go with the music's flow.