How much reality do you really need?

“Reality is overrated”, “There is no reality”, “Everything is an illusion”,
”A good system gets you halfway there”.
Obviously, any electronic recreation of reality can be an artistic picture of reality. Nothing more.
High End Audio is technically based but it is really an art.
There is an art in building a component as well as building a system.
Like a conductor playing an orchestra, the audiophile plays the system. All elements working together to create an electronic, symphonic presentation of reality.

how salty do you like your french fries?

how much dressing do you like on your salad?

it is all subjective

furthermore, is it ’reality’ to play orchestral music or have a 5-piece band with singer in your 14x17 listening room?

I know it's not strictly analogous, but this kind of reminds me of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

The more you know that your system sounds like live music, the less you know about live music.  Close enough? :)

“There is no reality, it’s all an illusion.”

Bingo!

Takes one to know one. Simulation, I mean.

**** how much reality do you need to enjoy your system? ****

As much as possible; within the limits of what I’m willing to spend.

**** Does it have to be close to an exact match? ****

”exact match” is very subjective. For me, even the best are not “close to an exact match”. So, again, as close as possible.

**** How close before your satisfied? ****

Impossible to quantify. As long as I can understand the musical message, I’m satisfied. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake; and I do like icing. Having said that, there’s icing out of a can and then there’s icing made with real butter and vanilla.

Personally, I find that for many, a fantastic performance can be deemed “unlistenable” due to relatively minor (for me) sonic problems. I simply don’t get the mindset that doesn’t allow ignoring relatively minor sonic deficiencies for the sake of the music.


++++ how much dressing do you like on your salad? ++++

As much as, or as close to the amount that live music puts on its salad. Listen to enough of it and it becomes obvious when one is putting on too little or too much.