2. speakers
  3. 166902-152191

At This Time Can We Recreate Full Range Live Music In The Home?

I read on this web site some members claim they go to the symphony orchestra and are "convinced" their system reproduces the experience. I agree with vocals, light percussion, acoustic music, light jazz, the best systems come very close. My experience comes from being a semi professional drummer for 40+ years. I currently have acoustic and electronic drums in my home. I play in a huge open space with 20 foot cathedral ceilings. I think I can state that I know what live drums sound like. Can even the six figure systems reproduce the attack and decay of a 20 inch crash cymbal? I say "maybe" in the future but not now! What makes me laugh is we audiophiles myself included will spend many, many thousands of dollars trying to reproduce the sound of a $20 triangle or a $15 woodblock or a $10 shaker. Play the song Aja by Steely Dan. I can play on my system the drum solo by the great Steve Gadd at realistic volume levels-if you dare -but it is not the same as real drums!! I don’t know if I can’t convince people that are not musicians. Not putting non-musicians down. Quoting my dad, "You don’t have to be a horse to be a horse doctor." Another quote by John Lennon. Someone asked him what he was listening to. He responded, "Dripping water."  It would be interesting to know how many of the greatest producers/engineers are or are not musicians or vocalists.
Some statistics: Soft drums 105dB, hard drums up to 130dB, kick drum/timpani 106-111dB, ride cymbal 101dB, toms 110dB, ride bell 115dB, crash 113dB, snare 120dB, rimshot 125dB. I have a system that could produce 125dB, would I -NO WAY I value my #1 instrument -my ears. So the drums are playing at 125dB peaks, now add in the other 80+ members of the symphony orchestra-how loud now? I ask again, can we at this time reproduce accurately the power of a symphony orchestra in the home? For many of us this is the Holy Grail of being an audiophile - Keep Searching!
wweiss
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
I havea  jadis Defy7 , massive trans, 100 watts, I think per channel, Yes each side. The Jadis DPL's vol gain never passes 9 oclock. 
Even when I get the Voxativ AC1A's, more than liklely will listen just barely above 9 oclock, 
My rm is 10x12 so any more than that , is a BLASTing
I never cared for mid level much less loud db levels. 
What I am looking for is bass, mids, highs which have a  pure fidelity, voicing tiny nuances in the orchestra, via the FR 97 db sens.
I'm more into fidelity vs  high db levels. 
and yes I know i am only using 15 of the 100 watts,. If I had a  20x20 room, maybe i would put vol at 10 oclock. 
The higher the gain  , the  more  you RISK adding in distortion. 

pauly
1,012 posts
 

Wow, more of you are saying no than I would have expected. This tells me many have yet to hear a 1st class system. 

You forget you posted your system for all to see. 1st class? I think not. 😂🤣


The best systems actually have better sound than you get at most concerts and easily match the volume levels if that is what you want. 

Clearly you haven’t been to many concerts. I attend on average 30 plus a year, 2020 excluded of course. No system on the planet comes close to reproducing a big stadium concert. 
An intimate recital, possibly.
wweiss OP
28 posts
 
Playing the Devil’s Advocate: So for those posters who say it can be done, I guess the musicians who have bought Stradivarius violins for between 10 -16 million dollars have wasted their money big time! Could have bought a system for less than a million and gotten equal the sound, or as some have stated - BETTER!
More to discover