Line Array VS Traditional Box Speakers, Why not just get the line array ?


I am sure this question has been posed many times over but I am curious as to response from the current active crew here.   Since I attend live music on pretty much a weekly basis for the most part I always come away with the same.  I actually need that line array at home thought.  Even if its not the band but the music between sets , I still need that line array.

We all spend good money on trying to recreate the live sound at home.  Why not use the same pro gear that bands do, DJs, Clubs etc...for a fraction of the cost of some of the crazy systems you guys have.  I have heard systems that cost ungodly amounts of money and no home system at any amount of investment that I have heard truly sounds like the real deal.  Some folks spend stupid money on AMPs, cables speakers and the sound is amazing but again it doesnt sound like it really does live.   For a fraction of the cost you  can get you the real pro AV sound.  

I look forward to the responses as I know a bunch of the cats on here are musicians as well.

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I don’t think all audiophiles search for the “live” presentation of music. I’m not sure that this is what this hobby is all about. While I can understand you seeking a particular presentation of music from your system, lives is not even close to what a good system is capable of producing. Details, soundstage, vocals, instruments, air etc. if your system is capable of producing and defining all of these things and more, it’s incomparable to hearing live music. My three cents…

Audiophiles will tell you pro audio suxs till it's remarketed to them at a very high price than its the bees-knees. Don't make me list all the brands and tech that started out as pro audio and is now considered audiophile. So if wanting a line array from pro-audio buy it. If wanting a line array that's audiophile approved there are options as well as DIY kits.

You're talking quantity vs quality in most live/ home comparisons. As hlide46  said, I get better sound in my living room than I do at many venues. As mentioned, try some horns...

Sounds like a good horn loaded speaker system is what you’re looking for. They can offer the dynamic range of a live performance like no other type of speaker can. They can play very loudly without heroically priced & sized amps, start & stop very quickly & can sound much better than most amplified concerts I’ve heard that are so hard with minimal clear frequency extension at both ends. 
 

But, you often can be subject to horn colorations & “honkiness” that are often a byproduct of their design. They also can be very large & dominate a room. A really good balance I’ve recently found & own are the Volti Audio Rivals. They’re not huge, beautiful, natural looking cabinetry, very efficient & dynamic & most importantly sound excellent with even modestly powered tube amps. They’re not fatiguing at all which to me is a real test of a system & w/ a good recording, can put you 10 rows back in a live performance. Lots of fun! Check them out. 

Good stuff guys.  I guess if you  do not like live music then you would search for more sterile recorded audio but in the end all musicians are trying to get that performance to come across as if they were playing to you.  Hence that is what I would consider the perfect system.  The soundstage that presents itself like the folks are in the room.   For sure some systems sound better then some rooms as acoustics are not the best at many venues I have seen shows at.  Places like Royal Albert  Hall, The Beacon, The Met , Carnegie Hall and  many many other small theaters I have seen shows at have incredible acoustics if you are in the right location in the venue.   The old Palladium, The Lone Star, CBGBS, Commack arena just to name a few Horrible acoustics.   Yes rooms all differ, acoustics all differ and some venues are absolutely horrible, outdoor shows are not going to provide solid acoustics  as well. 

As noted , I already have horn loaded Klipsch Fortes with a few choices of amplification.   I know Klipsch strives for the live sound and they get pretty close .  At low volumes just incredible accurate sound out of my Fortes.  I would go for La Scalas if it could fit them  as maybe I need that to get to where I want to

I will look into some of the other speakers mentioned as well but still have the question, why not a small array for home?  There is a guy that built a mini wall sound and now is building another larger one.  The mini system probably would be something I would dig.  It is built for instrument separation as was the original wall of sound.  If you haven't followed that its pretty cool .  Do some searches