Hmmm... I've just got on to this thread and I like it. I for one certainly do not want a 'live' sound from my Hi-Fi. If I want it live I go to a gig. What I do want from my Hi-Fi is music of a certain quality, played to a certain standard. I know not what that standard is until I hear it, and that I guess, is why we audition. I also want the music played in such a way that I can chillout and relax, maybe going into an almost dreamlike state. Yes, I know this is very personal but then the whole Hi-Fi/music thing is very personal. I do not own one 'live' album.