What are we really trying to replicate?

Cyclonicman - It's not a matter of me feeling better or not. Maybe a better way to make the comparison is to look at the level of engineering that goes into audiophile equipment and then realize that vinyl is a mass produced item. CDs provide whatever is recorded on them so that's not really an issue.

My experience is very limited, nearing zero, with vinyl which is why I'm asking questions. Has anyone had two seemingly identical records sound different? How much variation is acceptable from one to another?

A little background on me. I'm an engineer and almost always look at things differently from anyone else including my many engineering friends. My wife would tell you that I'm "broken." This isn't the first time, and won't be the last, that my thinking makes no sense to anyone else. Thankfully, I'm not always the odd one out.

This discussion has given me some different perspective to consider and that's the goal in the end.

I truly know that the investment in audio equipment yields improvements, no doubt about it.

"I doubt most concerts have a equal level of sound quality compared to the systems represented on this forum..." Mceljo

Have you ever attended a live symphony concert? If you haven't, try one...or more.

CD's are mass produced as well and not sure what you mean by CD's provide whatever is recorded on them. Many CD's will make your ears bleed and I don't think that is what was intended in the studio. I haven't been into vinyl for over 15 years although I still have many LPs. In the past, when one of my favorite mass produced albums was scratched or skipped or was just worn out, I would just purchase another one, which in some cases was 2 years later. The new replacement always sounded exactly the same as the old one, as it should, minus the scratches and skips and pops. I never experienced any variations in pressings from the same plant location. Some Japanese pressings may sound a little different than an American pressing of the same album, but I think if you were to replace a favorite Japanese pressed album with a new Japanese replacement, they would also sound similar.

I agree with Opus88 that attending live concerts is wise; not only for comparison purposes but for sheer enjoyment. Now live concerts vary - mostly by genre. The striking feature of live rock concerts, (although I admit the last one I went to was in 2002) is loud and impressive. To get the same effect you need a system that can do the same - loud, full bass etc. Classical symphony and opera on the other hand is pretty much in the other direction - does not sound loud in general - even at the loudest parts it still does not sound loud in the same way that a rock concert does, and it does not sound "impressive" - by that I mean it just sounds right but does not knock you out of your seat in the same way that a rock concert does. Not that one is better than the other - they are just different. Of course if you have never been to quite a few of either then it would be impossible to determine whether or not you are coming close to replicating the sound.

I've been to a couple of symphony concerts recently, but generally don't attend rock concerts because I don't enjoy that style of music or atmosphere. I'm the guy that prefers to watch the superbowl alone so I can enjoy rather than being distracted by the crowd and I feel the same way about music I guess. A few months ago I attended a David Garrett concert in Seattle and as amazing as it was I wished the sound system was better. The worst I've ever heard was the American Idol Season 1 tour in Seattle, horrible horrible horrible.

A friend of mine has been a symphony season ticket holder for the past 7 or 8 years and commented that my system was a close to the real thing as he had heard in someones living room. We've both heard better at our local Hi Fi store where my equipment is definitely closer to entry level stuff.