Is live reproduction the goal of audio?

Aida I think said it best High End is the best (or closest) way to listen to music outside of a live performance. In other word, it's the next best thing.

How you perceive that is up to you since you are the one listening to your system the most. There are no rules, but I would assume people want accuracy and emotion to come through.

But don't get lost in the pursuit. I find myself getting anal about my system and making it perfect. I need to remind myself that the system is just vehicle to deliver music. If you think about your stereo more than music, then I think you are losing site of your goal assuming that it is the music.

"The goal of audio electronics and transducers is to sound as life-like as possible but this is not at all the same as "live"."

What music isn't recorded live? How else can you record an instrument if it isn't a live person recording it?

C5150 - that's deep.

I don't know but I'll tell you that the VR11's that lakefrontroad has will come pretty darn close to live (maybe as close as you're gonna get).

Anyway, it's really silly to argue or get a little brawl going over such a vague and personal thing as goals in audio.

I guess if I really boil it down and get rid of my idealistic thoughts and drop down to dirty reality my goal is to enjoy it now and make it mo' better later. There is no end goal. I'll keep it up and die maybe in the middle of an upgrade that I'll never hear.