Hate to ask this, and I’m honestly not being facetious, but what is ‘real’?
I don’t actually care much if a recording artist/band is capable of reproducing what is laid down in the studio on stage. The only question for me is whether or not listening to the finished article, be it recorded or live, gives me pleasure.
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I was pondering over this at a recent festival. With main music performed in a big top, an even bigger big top and a massive open area.
The quality varied depending where I was situated. One place no bass, another too much. Other times with the same place but different guy behind the mixing desk - the ability of a decent mix master is important. I ended up feeling that most was mixed into a mono,then repeated in/out of phase. A big double mono wall. Other times when I felt like the mix between the two large banks of speakers was trying to replicate the position of the performers, it didn’t seem as engaging.
I mean does a piano, guitar or whatever sound like a real one. Does it sound natural and believable?
Anyway, I agree with your last comment, if it doesn’t give you pleasure then there is no point.
20 years ago I went to concerts by the Chieftans and Sarah McLaugln. Both concerts utterly captivating and enjoyable. But I remember thinking at the time they did not sound as good as listening to their studio albums on my Linn Sondek, Naim 62/hicap/140 and Epos ES14 system. Live music is not so much about the HIFi as the atmosphere of the gig and only occasionally does that sound good on a recording in a studio. Most of us just want to listen to a clear recording and are not interested in the life atmosphere of a gig, which is unique to that particular performance and cannot be reproduced.
“All” you need are good full range speakers with an amp having good control, and wind the wick up to realistic levels: that literally moving experience of the music transmitted through vibrating clothes, even seat can certainly be had at home, though if one values one’s ears not for too extended a session too often, likely further restricted if there are adjoining neighbours.
Unfortunately, as others have observed, live performances can be very vsriable in sound quality, from sublime to awful - and where you are in the auditorium can also make a significant difference (those well-designed acoustically mostly not bad, but some venues can exhibit vast differences, and ticket price is not based on sound quality!)
I also tend to agree with the OP. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy Stanley Clarke, Boney James, or the likes of others performing @ large venues. But if I had to choose, I would also prefer the intimacy of the local cafe. When it’s all said and done, there’s nothing like coming home after a live performance and engaging in Naim-land!
PS. Perhaps this is why we dedicate such a large percentage of our time and income to Naim!
It is a rare live album that can match the quality of a studio recorded album, but that isn’t why we go to live music. We go for the spontaneity of the event, sometimes of course, the live performance sounds one whole lot better than anything that our systems can produce . The more intimate the venue the better the results
Recently bought Eva Cassidy’s Live At Blues Alley, it ticked both the box of recording precision as well as the enjoyment of a live concert.
On the other hand, my CD of a Harry Chapin concert rates as one of my worst ever purchases.
Perhaps it’s my age, but increasingly I find live performance lacking in musicality. Perhaps, it’s a lack of care in the amplification, or it’s the audience as I’m not interested in the atmosphere, and I’ve become intolerant of crowds. So give me an acoustic set or a small church if you can tear me away from my hifi.
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Having read umpteen hi fi mags reviews over the years I realised that you don’t pay any attention to the sound quality comments as they are meaningless due to the fact we all hear differently.
I used the reviews as a rough guide and for the technical specs.
I first listened to Naim just over a year ago and bought a Nova as I found the sound quality more enthralling/captivating than other options. I also found the sound was further improved to my ears with the addition of Special 40 speakers. Other alternatives have to me sounded bland.
I now listen to music most mornings thanks to the Naim sound which was not the case with my previous well known brand system.
In short I think you shouldn’t worry about sound quality but rather do you enjoy the actual sound.
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“Most of us just want to listen to a clear recording and are not interested in the life atmosphere of a gig…”
“Not interested in atmosphere…”
To each their own, of course, but I think the “atmosphere” of a live performance is a essential part of my enjoyment and love of music: that sense of sharing with both audience and performer, being caught up in the 'communion ’ as it were…no, SQ is not often ‘as good’ as at home…but the overall experience is on a different level. Not necessarily always better or worse, but certainly essential. I remember fairly vividly seeing Archie Shepp decades ago, but I’ve forgotten each individual play of Juju on my stereo over the years…
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I’ve heard some very good systems, including the Naim reference stuff, but still haven’t had that punch you get at a live gig. If your speakers will replicate AC/DCs live rig in your living room you need to send.me an invite. I’ll bring beer
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Come on guys,.you have to go out more 
.
This above which @Innocent_Bystander takes up is important,.important to consider when you visit a Live-Event.
But also important knowledge for a good sound technician.
A good sound technician places his equipment,.this both in small premises and in large stadiums,.so that it will be good soundquality everywhere.
It’s like making tuning on your music-system at home,…but much,much larger 
.
I know,because I have been working with this.
But do you have a little knowledge about this,.so use it when you choose a place at a Live-Event.
But the most important person at a live gig is,… Sound technician.
The same PA-system,.Large or Small,.may sound amazing or awful.
It all depends on the sound technician.!
As with your Hifi-system,.the soundquality does not depend on what products you have in your system.
It depends on,.who has installed and optimized your music-system.
I’ve heard many entry-level systems sound better than top-spec systems.
A good performer,.with a good sound technician…Yes it’s light years ahead of the music-system at home.
But this is two completely different experiences,.which I find difficult to compare.
Both are good in their way…
But the dynamics, timing, crescendot, presence etc,etc are superior live.
/Peder🙂
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Certainly in my experience of smaller gigs the quality of the sound system always leaves much to be desired. Unplugged is of course different, and often (usually) better - but then it is difficult to balance out the various instruments, especially if, God forfend, banjos are involved.
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Try the JBL Pro 3677. They look a bit big but only 30cm deep. Push them up against a wall and they work in your living room. Sort of. 99dB efficiency.
Better yet find someone with LP12 or CDX2 frontend and 52/SC/135 with Mk1 SBL. Decent setup that system may not work well with Haydn but it will rock you more than any PA.
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When I post Youtube videos of various artists on forums, I often go for live performances (non classical music) as they are far more interesting and better SQ in my humble opinion. Studio produced music can be very good but at the end of the day it will sound stale in comparison to live versions. Eg A good live version of Highway Star (Deep Purple) will always be more compelling in many respects than the studio version of it - its a no brainer…!
I find that it depends. I went to several Pentangle live performances, and while I enjoyed them they were not as good, I think, as the LPs. Which were not particularly well-engineered, TBH. OTOH Pink Floyd live can be quite good. And Kraftwerk live was much more powerful than home HiFi. You could feel your sternum bouncing around.
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Hi Timmo,
The reason audiophiles selected live unamplified music is that its a known quantity, quality-wise, with mostly natural timbre, venue related acoustics, an unmodified tonal balance and natural dynamics. A studio recording is often highly modified with additional reverb, added warmth etc making it much harder to define what is added/modified by the studio and what are artefacts of the hi-fi system employed.
Essentially what one needs to evaluate the sonics of any hi-fi system is a completely neutral recording. Live unamplified music is the closest we can get to that neutrality.
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Or, even better, music you actually like.
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I am going to cop it now … but I just don’t think any hifi comes that close…and it really is not the electronics as such…but the physical limitations of the speaker systems. Take for instants a triangle … pretty simple hey … but the dynamic range and volume that instantly produces is such that - a speaker any speaker would struggle - with the natural instant harmonic volume. There was a study done back along by Steve Harris - I think where something like a piccalo was measured - and it was really quite loud - with a very unique structure - this was replicated by a hi quality speaker system and measured, the harmonic frequency structure - was not that close (I seem to remember they were B&W803’s). I am not knocking modern speakers … I think they sound pretty darn good…(in-fact I am gobsmacked they as good as they are!)… but it is not that close to the real thing. But hey …music is about enjoyment…for me if the system is good enough to move me and engage me - and allow me to listen that’s fine - the trouble is it is quite a difficult task to achieve!
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