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Why I like my home system better than live music

Not sure which forum to place this, but since speakers are the most important in the audio chain besides the room, I'll start here. I know most audiophiles including me set live music as the reference to guage reproduced music in their homes. But I've come to the conclusion I enjoy my home system better than most live music. I can count on one hand musical venues that I think absolutely outclasses any system I've heard, but in most cases live music is just sounds bad. Is it just me who feels this way?
dracule1
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,375 posts
 
Rock concerts are the most problematic in general.

Still, I have heard several in recent years by major acts that were quite excellent in regards to sound quality:

Yes (with Symphony Orchestra) at Wolftrap in Vienna, Va
Porcupine Tree at Rams Head Live
The Musical Box also at Rams Head Live
Savoy Brown at Rams Head Tavern (Annapolis)
The Church at rams Head Tavern (twice in recent years)
bdgregory
1,715 posts
 
I love live performances for the performance, but I can't recall ever being fully satisfied with the sonics - whether it be due to my seat location, the venue acoustics, audience distractions, or the performer's poor mix setting - it's never as good as you'd like, with rare exception. In your home, with carefully engineered source material, you can control those things.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,375 posts
 
Forgot to mention that even paul McCartney concert last year at FedEx Field, DC (football stadium) surprisingly had very good sound, however, I was sitting RIGHT in the sweet spot at ground level between the two speaker columns. That was an unbelievable ticket score and most SWEET!

BTW, Recorded music I have heard during games at M&T bank Stadium (ravens) is darn good sounding. Modern NFL football stadiums seem to have some of the very best large scale SOTA sound systems installed!
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ncarv
983 posts
 
Agreed. But a decent sounding live concert at which the performers are really putting out is a treat which can't be measured against the advantages of home audio. They are different experiences.
While my stereo usually sounds, in some ways, better than many live concerts, it does not necessarily provide "life" that one gets from singers or musical instruments at a live concert.
Coincidentally, this is the exact subject of the first page in the current Stereophile issue.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,858 posts
 
I agree with some of you above, I would rather invest in my home system @ music than dealing with all of the other stuff. Having tinitus also plays a roll, I can control my listening environment.
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