What is trully important?

Who ever said that the “pros” have any idea what they are listening to? Those guys from the 60s who really knew what they were doing are long gone. What we are after is the realistic and satisfying reproduction of a musical performance in a home setting. Which can be totally ruined by what many of these guys do. All this has very little to do with the enjoyment of music. I’ll take music any way I can get it. Yes, I prefer to listen at the highest possible fidelity. But, that is usually not available. As long as I can tap my foot I am a happy guy.
The highest possible fidelity is not a subjective target. It is a poorly defined objective one. Anyone hearing a first class reproduction will jump to the same conclusion. Wow, that sounds like they are really in the room etc. You know it when you hear it. The enjoyment of music is an altogether different subject. 

@kosst_amojan-

Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing.

Tom

"I never understood the fascination some have with the studio monitor paradigm. Studio monitors aren't hifi speakers and the intent of their design is to be very flat and analytical. Personally, I'm more interested in what a recording is mastered on"
  OK what exactly do you mean by flat and analytical? If you mean speakers that do not color the music but give faithful replay of what is being done I want flat and analytical. I can add spice to the sound with all kinds of electronics but the speaker needs to be like I am there. Studio monitors I have heard did that and those guys doing the mastering listen to what they have done on them. I never see exotic or designer named anything with bands and sound pros where they earn a living and I want to hear that same sound. So why not use what they use?

The Yamaha NS-10m, which dominated the studios in the 80’s was far from flat and analytical. In my experience, engineers and producers just wanted consistency between studios and the good ones could predict how the music would sound on a wide variety of speakers by extrapolating from what they heard on the Yamahas. Same thing with Auritone 4" cube monitors. Hugely popular.

As for concert sound, engineers are faced with a multitude of issues - feedback, monitoring projecting in huge stadiums and open air - not to mention budget.  The Grateful Dead had a huge high-end sound system, but it proved too expensive to keep.