Real or Surreal. Do you throw accuracy out the window for "better" sound?

The hyper detailed system is a common result of the pursuit. I have heard a number of systems that sound exactly like the one you describe. I think it is a fairly predictable outcome of analytical minds pursuing better and better systems. I can’t speak for others, but I definitely headed that way… not realizing that by maximizing detail and slam I was loosing the music. When working 70 hours a week and having at most 45 minutes to listen to music a day… the detail and slam was enthralling.

A number of things happened to me that got me questioning the character of the sound of my system. I had a little more time to listen… I would get bored after 45 minutes of listening. I noticed many recordings sounded bad, and I started listening to live acoustic music… on purpose. The nail in the coffin was when I bought a high end Woo 300B headphone amp for my already great headphone system. My headphones came alive with tremendous detail, but with mid-range bloom, and rhythm and pace as I had never heard before. It was an epiphany. It made my main system sound simply terrible… dry, lifeless.

Instantly all sorts of experiences with different systems across the decades came together. That began the revolution in my main system that brings me to the all tube systems I have today. Detailed, warm, and completely realistic sounding. See my virtual systems. So, for me, I had to discover the error in the direction of my system building.

I know of a few people that had their eye on musicality from the beginning. I know of a lot of people pursuing the highly detailed, sometimes holographic systems. I don’t know if they just haven’t had the epiphany yet, or that their systems simply tickle their fancy. I have known quite a few people that were equipment swappers… they just seem to love to swap out a top notch component every few months. I don’t get it… seems to make them happy.

All I know is that I am estatic that I figured this out before I retired and now can enjoy simply stunningly musical systems, that I have a hard time dragging myself away from after listening three or more hours a day.

I’ve listened to a lot of concerts in a way where I paid audiophile-style attention. Concerts often have a lot of flaws -- imbalances, echo, etc. Live music doesn’t always set the standard. In those cases I don’t prefer "real."

Even in concerts with very good, balanced sound, they are typically not "hyperdetailed" the way some systems are. I like that.

So, to answer your question -- I prefer "good real" over "weird hyper-detailed."

I prefer "good not-real" over "bad real" and over "hyper-detailed."

In good fiction writing courses, they teach writers, "Show, don't tell."

Good systems "show" but they don't "tell."

Personal preference.  I like it real.   Studio  recordings are surreal by nature. 

I often throw away stereotypes on better sound for bigger money and it works very well.

Hey, you never know It might be those high-end wires that do cost a lot and do make a difference you've just experienced.

Same pattern only with a LOT larger magnitude is around medications... You might think that it was made out of bunch of magic and expensive substance that will help ya, but at the end, you've only spent a fortune without much desirable outcome.

Buying with the money to buy will not replace acoustics knowledge...

I own a system with headphone and speakers under 1000 bucks... 😊 With no major defects...Upgrading will cost me 10,000 bucks but it is unnecessary because i already enjoy immersiveness and good timbre...On my headphone and even with my speakers...

My system is better than what you described...

My system show me ALL but did not tell me what to hear... As Hilde45 put it well...

Amazing how there is no linear relation between price and sound...

Nothing replace acoustics knowledge because if you dont understand the 5 factors interplay describing TIMBRE or the many factors related to spatial dimensions of the soundfield how can you create them by learning how to control them in some way for yourself ? By buying costly components ?🤨

We create,ourself or not, our sound experience with any basically good synergetical components RIGHTFULLY EMBEDDED IN OUR ROOM/HOUSE...This is related to basic knowledge and synergy ONLY ,not price tag AT ALL ...

By the way did you know why i did not recommend my low cost speakers and headphone choices to eveyone ?

It is because they are optimal ONLY after many modifications and the rightful embeddings ...

I recommend studying, reading, embeddings controls, experiments with creative and fun imagination based on ACOUSTICS not only room acoustic here... I never recommended my brand name gear pieces as solutions as many did... I recommended acoustics learning and experiments... I modified my speakers after i studied crosstalk effects reading in acoustics and Helmholtz resonators ...Same for my headphone and other acoustics concepts ... Without modifications they are not so good at all even if i bought them because of the users reviews unanimously good almost...

We must dare to read about all acoustics concepts to understand what we perceive when we hear a sound... If not we will go on the upgraditis wheel and marketing hype...

There is a MINIMAL acoustic satisfaction threshold, when you get it, music became immersive so much that you forget sounds and marginal and most useless upgrades...

You can economise much money but you cannot economise time study and experiments sorry...It is why most people pay with money instead of thinking and paying with time ... Most have not my time leisure in retirement... I will never had did it before my retirement ... Then i understand people... But the truth must be said...😊 Investing time can be fun and it is way more rewarding than most  upgrading...