does a stereo system sound like live music ?

It is easier achieving the sound of a rock concert or the like since all the music is miked and electronic. No referrent of natural/acoustic. Audio is not (near) getting a jazz trio, quartet, etc. to sound like it is in your living room. Listen to a $250k rig. How long with your eyes closed will it take you to know (if you didn't know already) if it's "live or memorex?" Seconds. I really don't think that goal (in my life time, at least) is attainable. Look, we all talk about soundstage like it is the next coming. Doesn't exist in the real music world. (correction: Symphony orchestra and big band, yes) When I'm at a jazz club (NY has oodles of them) and I'm seated right infront, I don't hear the drummer, or whoever, coming from deeper on the stage then he be. Intimacy is what you see and hear. Soundstage depth? I don't think so. Hey nothing to do on a rainy day afternoon. Sorry if I'm rambing. I had enough of Latin 101..carpi diem....pace, warren :)

Hrrrumpf! Did I hear my name just invoke in vane?

The profound if not exactly novel question raised by Mr. Tennis is essentially undecidable. It belongs to the same class of propositions such as:

"How many anally retentive audiophiles can dance on the outer edges of my soundstage?"

In a more serious vein, we could analyze the issue until we turn blue in the face. It should be sufficient to say however, that the high end audio experience is qualitatively different from the live experience. It simultaneously far exceeds the beuty of a live performance and falls often short of it. While it gives me joy and awe, I shall pursue it. When it stops doing it, I will concentrate on other pursuits. . . . or at least I shall get my ear-canal cleaned up by a specialist.

the point of this thread is to observe the futility of configuring a stereo system and expecting it sound like live music and the idea that a good cheap reproducer of music is closer to an expensive stereo than an expensive stereo is to live music.

the other thought is to give you guys someone to attack. it's cheaper than going to a therapist, beating your wife, or other anti-social behavior.

keep those adjectives coming. i'm enjoying every minute.

"the point of this thread is to observe the futility of configuring a stereo system and expecting it to sound like live music....."

And you want to have philosophical discussions with anyone foolish enuf to believe that they will ever have a audio system in their home that sounds like live music.......go figure.

For the sake of your consistency meter, as I said in another thread, your posts are like fishing in a trout farm pond with an empty hook..........

As to personal attacks, what can I say but that you are so effective at setting yourself up for them, even I can't resist, and I'm one of the nice guys here. :-)

If I may be so bold as to suggest, if you really want to enjoy real dialog with forum participants stop setting up rediculous good v bad situations in which you intend to be a 'moderator' and utlimately win the debating contest by implementing your of your newly discovered use of logic (see, in another post you set your self up for that comment as well, sorry - the devil made me do it.)

You may be please to know that this will be my last post on any of your meaningless threads. If you have something interesting to share or assistance you may need I will, as I alread have, happily respond.

Good luck.