Originally Posted by
Gaz
This was inspired by various other threads about what people want from their system, something that is often mentioned is the system sounding like a live performance.
I've been thinking about this and with one exception (Brit Floyd) if my system sounded like most of the gigs I've been to I'd bin it and buy a Bose Wave thingy.
With the obvious exception of sheer volume most live gigs sound bloody awful, one that springs to mind for me was Alice Cooper at Bournmouth a few years ago, the sound was so bad that I genuinely struggled to tell what song was being performed it was simply sheer noise.
People also rhapsodise about soundstage and being able to hear where individual instruments are, again at a live gig your eyes tell you where the performers are not your ears, although there are usually two speaker arrays (plus delay towers) the audience are unlikely to get any stereo imaging depending on where they're sitting/standing.
So is the "live performance" analogy really a good one
No, I personally don't think it is. If you listen critically to a live performance you would find guitars and vocals sounding like the speakers are being overdriven, and the "soundstage" could be pretty much anything, and will change every time you get a beer or go to the bog. At one gig I went to (Happy Mondays at G-Mex Manchester) our location was such that the sound bouncing off the rear wall was louder than the sound source, the result was rather weird.
The live "experience" is exciting, and can connect you with the performers, but no way would I want that in my living room (apart from a bit more bass "slam", I'd have a bit more of that).
A bit like F1 cars - very exciting to drive (I imagine) on a race track, but using an F1 car to nip to the shops in or do the school run, not for me thanks.
I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in
T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables
T'other system:
Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF
A/V:
LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub
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