Anyone else prefer listening to their system more than a concert?

how about the musicians in your listening room. Instead of upgrading the cables this year?

Absolutely. I mostly stopped rock / jazz (amplified) concerts about 20 years ago... terrible sound, often too loud. Not interested in hearing damage... and earplugs... what then is the point. 

I spent over the next twenty with acoustic jazz and the symphony. I finally quit the symphony when they installed a multimillion dollar DSP system to make it sound better and insisted on using it during classical concerts. Brittle harsh violins... bazar sound stage with instruments occasionally in the wrong place... like the drums behind me. My system sounds about the same as the pre DSP system and way better than it does now...

So, no more concerts. 

My favorite is live music in small/medium size venue...no more big concert halls for me, mostly for physical/practical reasons...otherwise love the energy...

At age 72 I am becoming more and more allergic to live orchestral venues and performances for all the reasons listed above plus the sometimes grueling inconvenience of having to sidle past fellow seated individuals in order to get to the restroom. Most often they get to consider your butt as you thread your way through their knees. The entire audience gets to watch as well. You become for a brief time the most irritating object at the concert with the added suspense that you may give a repeat performance soon enough.

Steady diet of both…

block n a half  walk to the Cajun bar for a cover band and the proprietor sometimes ably covers a classic..

light rail to Benaroya hall

hosting the church electric worship band at home… 

3 blocks to art gallery pop up w great solo jazz guitarist ( open bar to grease the skids of commerce )

short drive to Tacoma Armory to see Shannon Curtis 80’s kids show …

something soon at The Belly Up - Solana beach…