I wanted to see my favorite performers and/or groups perform more than I wanted to hear them perform. . . .
As i see it now after my experiments and this correspond to what you said when you said that you want to see the musicians more than hear them, is the fact that in an optimized acoustically controlled room with a minimally good system for sure and synergetical , the initial recording process of the performance, which recording implicate a trade-off set of choices by the recording engineer( location and type of the mics etc ) is now so well reproduced and translated by your system/room that now you "SEE" the instruments and musicians...
The way it was recorded make it possible and each albums is way different , but in all good recordings you keep the eyes open , not close, because you are irresistibly convinced that you are there in the church where the organ played or you are persuaded that the organ is there in your room and your room begun to be a church... That was my stunning impression and thats why for me acoustic is not the cherry on the system cake but more part of the cake itself provide for sure the system is synergetical and as high quality enough ...
There is many levels of realism ... My Sansui alpha so good it is dont rival the best that atmasphere can create for example , i dont have any doubt about that ...
But this is what i called the minimal acoustical satisfaction level ...
Most people dont enjoy this minimal level ...
This is why i insisted on the system synergy/room and their electrical,mechanical and acoustical rightful embeddings controls even with mechanical devices or/and with some DSP etc ...The last rev9olutionary devices being the BACCH filters..