it all sounds good, but.....

thanks for all the responses.

It is sounding like LPs are the easiest and maybe only way to get REAL sounding music(not real as in imaging, spacing, etc., but for a clarinet to sound like a clarinet, alto sax to sound like an alto sax, etc.). I used to play different instruments, so i know what i'm hearing just doesnt sound right... I've even heard $70k systems with digital front ends... its sounds great/good/pleasing/almost 3d/etc., but not real.

Reason for this thread, is b/c a lot of the other threads on high-end front ends make it sound like they are reproducing real sounding music... i guess not.

Although all the responses offer valid points, I would take this more in the direction of Avguygeorge, and suggest looking at the speaker/amp combo and dynamics. However, finding the right combo for a "realistic" presentation could be significantly dependent on your music preferences, which you did not state. Rather than go looking for the holy grail, you might want to first take some of your favorite cd's and go listen to them on your friend's systems or at your local dealer's to get a better feel for the type of sound you are looking for.

I have to say, that while LP is great, that great digital is available. IMHO, you should try other speakers than single drivers. All single driver speakers are colored and cannot reproduce all music accurately. If you listen to primarly acoustic or real simple stuff without much bass or much complex music passages then yea, you may be ok with the single drivers. But, you will grow tired of them. At first they are amazing because of there transparency but, after a while you will put on something that demands more than they can handle and it will be very obvious. Been there ,done that. You can get a speaker that's just as transparent and be able to reproduce more music accurately. Sorry for the spelling mistakes.

I've even heard $70k systems with digital front ends... its sounds great/good/pleasing/almost 3d/etc., but not real.

You obvioulsy prefer Vinyl. Nothing wrong with that. All audio reproduction is limted to what the studio engineer can achieve on a given format. And it never perfectly equals real live music although both Vinyl and Digital can sound good (but different) - given a great mix and great master.

Your choise of speaker indicates that you prefer a certain type of sound. Nothing wrong with that. Just recognise that very few of the Vinyl records that you buy will have been mixed and mastered on single driver speakers ...so how all these LP's can end up sounding "Real" is either a fluke or it may be you just like the sound of your system compared to others (even those with $70 K systems). Again nothing wrong with that except that I don't see the need to criticise those who have invested $70 K in digital systems (I get the impression that for all their $$$, people with $70 K digital systems have something synthetic, inherently inferior and unreal about them).

IMHO, you are happy and that is what counts! The system suits your tastes perfectly. Enjoy what you have: an awesome system!