Listening to music

[Spongebob]

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1. I disagree with the real music statement. The last time I went to live show the acoustics were shit, and the music sounded terrible compared to what I am used to listening to at home. I admit things might have been different if the Stones had been playing Carnegie Hall instead of Soldier Field and Mick and the rest of the band were 26 instead of 76, but they weren't. The show in question received pretty good reviews, BTW.

2. My office at work right now.

Reel to reel tape machines work well. The one above is a 45ish year old Pioneer RT-909. We paid about $1200 for it 5 years ago then another $1000 having it rebuilt with fresh caps and transistors and properly biased. It isn't a 16-track 2" Studer A80, but most people don't listen to studio grade equipment at home. It sounds good, but I doubt you or anyone else could tell the difference between the copy of Dark Side of the Moon I recorded from vinyl on this machine and and the 24 bit 192 kHz FLAC file I ripped from the same album in a blind test.

1. That doesn't surprise me, many venues has crap acoustics and often they set up their systems for volume.  I guess I'm saying a good venue with a good system produces far better sound than a recording, which of course is just a sample of reality anyway.  You could argue that studio recordings are more precise and they are because the performers can record all day and pick the best tracks, do multitrack, tinker with the mix.  I just find that to be a manufactured sound.  Live music feels alive.  I attended a performance of the Brian Setzer Orchestra a few years ago and couldn't believe my ears.  That guy is a guitar god.  I've listened to his music on all sorts of systems for 30 years and it doesn't do him justice.  Also, I attended a live chamber music performance in a small venue and it put me in a dream state.  I rushed home to listen to recordings of the same music and it just felt dead, like flat cardboard.
2. I had a neighbor years ago who had a studio R2R and it was amazing.  But when you convert to digital, if you do it right, it's indistinguishable from analog to almost all humans.  Even if it was 20% better, I would not notice it.  I just don't focus on music unless its live.  I'm listening to Helloween's newest album on Youtube on USB speakers and it sounds pretty good.  I just like the mood it puts me in.