How much reality do you really need?

rvpiano, why on earth are you so sensitive to a word? It means, functioning badly. It is not meant to be insulting in any way shape or form.
Just a short 75 years ago we were blowing up people with A bombs. Now there's an insult. An insult is an expression or word you hurl at an individual. Then you slap him in the face and challenge him to a dual. We are such cool creatures, anyway. Please, get yourself a gin and tonic, don't forget the lime and chill out. 

Mijostyn,

Your  historical references  are as irrelevant as your opinion.

@larry5729

"How do you know if your system sounds like the sound room where it was recorded or how it sounded live?  I think a sound system alters the sound in order to hear what sounds most pleasing to your ear.  The next step is how much are you willing to spend or how much will your spouse allow you to spend"


I agree but this is not hi-fi orthodoxy!  .

Seems that unless you were there to witness and hear the actual recoding being made, reality is largely undefinable. Everyone is aware of the differences in source quality. A lousy production sounds lousy at any price IMO, a better lousy, but lousy nonetheless. 

I don't think most want the most close to live sound. I think most audiophiles have a preference. How far are you willing to go to achieve this goal? Most tend to push the boundaries further and further and that expands the costs.