Musicnoise, your comments are certainly on the mark. The sound experience at a live rock concert is entirely different from that at a symphony concert. Even at the highest sound/dynamic levels, the ears are rarely assaulted in the same way they are at rock concerts, which often use electronics equipment to further amplify the sound. I also agree with your point about raising the question, "Do you like the way music sounds on your system?" Indeed, that is THE most significant concern when listening to reproduced music at home. Notwithstanding, the live event is most often "a horse of a different color." It would take too much time and effort for me to relate how remarkable sounding the experience was for me and my friends at a recently attended concert, and it wasn't just the performances or the particular compositions either. Though I had heard wonderful sound at other concerts, I was unprepared for sound this glorious. I will remember it for a long time.
