seems to me you have your answer already, almost.
the ‘identical’ thingy bothers me some. Mics aren’t perfect and neither is or are the components engaged in reproducing its mimickry. naturally then there will be some loss or distortion during and or thereafter with respect to signal integrity.
speakers themselves contribute wildly to the loss and distortion as does the microphone itself and its preamp, cable, etc.
even the acoustics of the room in which the recording or playback is delivered will boost or detract from the noise they exhibit.
so, IMO the working principle of loudspeakers is to take the electrical signals received and excite the transducers in such a way as they vibrate themselves and the air surrounding them so varying frequencies are transmitted in an audibly discernable manner that sound is heard.
albeit, from instrument to speaker is a long and twisty road. things will not ever be identical or exactly duplicated at our ears relative to the orig performing venue.
true too even if a mic is not in use and all signals are transmitted electronically.
as for all these losses and distortions, here is where the ‘brain’ comes into play. it takes up the slack and tells us if a thing comes close to the orig that it likely is being , it being ‘replicated’ .
this advisement the brain sends us reminds us of two things. we’re hearing a recording… and how well done it may or may not have been recorded and rendered.
it also advises us we need to spend a lot more money so we can believe we are either at the orig venue or the artists are in our room.
