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


I know I do. It seems like most people on this forum don't feel that way. That's OK. To each his own. 

For me, I like being able to control the volume. I like choosing what song I want to hear. I like not being in a crowd. I like hearing the music without any distracting sounds from others. I like the privacy. I like the convenience. I think my system sounds wonderful. I'm a happy camper.

Just my opinion. Not trying to change anyone else's mind.

Enjoy the music! Whichever way pleases you.

tomcarr

Different listening. Most "rock" is too loud for the room. For example, we went to hear Etta James at Carnegie Hall years ago. Susan Tedeshi opened- she was far too loud for the room, and overloaded it- it was a blob of sound that didn't allow you to distinguish vocals or anything else. Etta's band gets on-- they knew how to play the room, she didn't have the power she did at her height, but it was great. 

King Crimson at Bass Hall here in Austin--  powerful, three drummers, Tony Levin on Stick bass, the sound guys knew what they were doing-- you could feel the "thwack" of bass but the sound was not distorted. 

Ditto, Lyle Lovett at ACL several years ago-- it's a good room, and they played it perfectly-- Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar- marvelous. 

So, if somebody can play live without blasting me, I'm down. Hi-fi isn't the same. 

Whether I want to put up with the rigors of live show is a different issue. Here in Austin, we have a lot of festivals. I don't do those. I like a comfy chair, easy access, no pogo-ing. 

Did catch ZZ Top at the Majestic in San Antonio when Dusty Hill was still on the planet. They were great.

I've heard a lot of bands over the years in different venues, from Jim Morrison to the Talking Heads in a pizzeria before they became famous. Little Feat w/ Lowell, opened by Roy Buchanan. I would not have traded those experiences for anything.

Did go to the 02 for Zep in 08. Twas cool. 

@ezwind - always seemed to me that the bands who put the most effort and money into getting the very best sound possible were the Grateful Dead - right from the beginning; Owsley did a lot more than make great acid - and Pink Floyd (and solo offshoots). 

The last live concert I enjoyed was Mattawa Voyager Days, in Ontario. It was around 8 years ago, I am 68 now.  We had the wrist bands for entrance to the music area, and realized it Noisy, Crowded, Dusty and Difficult to see the band.  This event runs for 2 nights and then on Sunday. 
We returned on Saturday with out kayaks, and headlights that you can use when cross country skiing at night, or hiking. We paddled out into the Ottawa River, and just drifted in the currents and eddies, keeping the music far enough away to enjoy the volume level, the lack of crowds, no dust and found out that you could get a nice reverb effect from the hills on the Quebec side of the river.  Awesome.
Later, around 11 pm, a fireworks display was scheduled, so, we paddle closer to shore, and watched the fireworks land in the river, in the area we had just left. It is really cool to watch the fireworks falling into the water, when at water level, and getting the reflection and the fireworks.
Since then, most concerts are over priced, noisy, bad acoustics, crowded, etc. etc.. I could buy every CD ever made by most bands, and still have a lot of change left over.  
Sue Foley, playing at a small bar in Lavigne Tavern, Lavigne, was awesome. Seating for around 100 people... good time.