How Do You Live The Audiophile Life

speaker placement can take many weekends of trial and error...  

my current speakers are 153 lbs each. so it can be a workout too!

buy colored gaffers tape and mark 'promising placements'.

also doesn't hurt to mark the center of your room.

;-)

I loot and pillage.

No wait,that's the Pirate's life.....

Poot and porridge.

stringreen,

"I suggest going to real live concerts....the sound is way different than are the recordings. The difference is animation vs reality."



Yes, the often repeated but no less relevant advice. 

I'd have to travel an hour or so to get to a concert, hopefully all acoustic, but I do need to.

The last time I went, ages ago, was a solo piano recital. Not for one moment did I even think my system could ever sound like that. 

And despite all the many upgrades since, it hasn't. Not even close.

Comparing a ‘live concert‘ to your home system is a bit odd in my mind.  Unless we are talking classical/orchestral concerts in a non-amplified venue or jazz in an intimate room. 
Even then Jazz and Classical/Orchestral recordings are rarely recorded as you would hear them. Multiple mics are used, instruments and performers are mixed in with live ‘room mics’ to come up with a pleasing ‘live sounding’ result. 
If we are talking Pop, Rock, Techno, Rap, ProgRocComparing a ‘live concert‘ to your home system is a bit um, a bit odd in my mind.  Unless we are talking classical/orchestral concerts in a non-amplified venue or jazz in an intimate room.
If we are talking Pop, Rock, Techno, Rap, ProgRock, Hip Hop, R&B, Metal, Trance, Disco, Dance, Country, Soul, Reggae....live concerts are amplified and generally live venues, especially ones with amplifiers elements, are an echoey mess. 
Everything is going through microphones, or microphones on speakers, there are tape loops, direct sends from keyboards and tons of vocal effects all mixed through a board and re-presented to you again via amplifiers and speakers...
It’s cool to hear a recorded concert you attended played back on your system. But the two experiences will sound different. 
You could try binaurally recording a show you attend. That might be revealing of your home system. But again so many variables.
If you’d like to chase solo piano recitals and their reproduction, I am certain you can come very close to matching that ‘live’ sound on your home system. And I honor your pursuit and look forward to hearing your system.

We will chase what we will chase.
(The heart wants what the heart wants.)

*if the aforementioned solo acoustic piano is your goal I would suggest, in the broadest sense, electrostatic speakers, a solid state power amp, an airy holographic tube pre amp, balanced power and balanced interconnects. **The BAT VK-500 with BatPak does pianos beautifully!