Live vs HiFi

[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by GaryProtein

There are times I love live music and times that I hate it.

What I like about live music: That is how music should be heard. It in most cases, especially in the minds of classical composers (you know, the dead ones before the twentieth century) envisioned their music to be heard. But the old world pomp and ceremony of going to the opera and other performances is gone. The inconsiderate slobs who attend, ruin it for the rest of us who want to see a pristine performance in all its splendor.

I don’t even want to listen to music with anyone else around. There is a difference between background music and really listening.

For me, there is no contest. Recorded music wins.

I am so sorry that you have had bad experiences in modern concert halls, listening to classical music. I go to a couple of dozen live symphonic concerts and operas each year, and I have never encountered any inconsiderate slobs.

We must go to different places to listen to music. In Every venue where I go to listen to classical music, the audiences are totally respectuful and quiet while the music is playing, still observing the old world pomp and ceremony that you say you long for.

You mentioned Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, we must go on different nights to those places. I've been fortunate enough to go to all those within the past 6 months without a single incident. Just pure enjoyment.

And, I still prefer live classical performances!

[Pider]

Every once in awhile I get in front or next to a cough drop wrapper person. Even in the best of Halls ( no pun intended, but hey.... ).

HINT: unwrap four or five BEFORE the concert starts, please!

[PHC1]

Interesting comments so far. Just as I predicted, there are two sides of the camp although it seems slightly in favor of LIVE music.


It seems many agree that LIVE means unpredictable and not necessarily perfect sound/performance quality although the atmosphere and emotionally engaging experience more than compensates and drives people to keep coming back for the LIVE experience...



I also don't think we can fairly say that LIVE is always better and vice versa. A great performance in a good acoustical space is the benchmark that any recording can only hope to capture properly and our gear to reproduce even remotely close. A great studio recording on the other hand can and does beat a ho hum performance or a lousy acoustical space.




Here is another question then:

I can certainly understand the audiophile group that falls into the category of "Well, I would attend a LIVE performance but the conditions have to be perfect"...

Here is the concept I am having a hard time understanding then.

I know for a fact that many people who consistently listen to LIVE music are not in fact "audiophiles" nor do they own high end gear. Neither do most musicians for that matter...

So for the audiophiles that invest much money into playback gear and then still strongly prefer the LIVE experience, the group that claims high end audio can never match neither the electrifying experience of being there among the crowds for the atmosphere, nor the quality of music itself, nor seeing the musicians LIVE, then the question becomes "WHY"? Surely for the obscene amount of money we spend on our gear and very often, one can pretty much travel all over the US if not the world and attend all kinds of LIVE venues for that kind of cash.

Bill, a separate question for you as well. Given the choice, either attend LIVE venues often and for a very long time or have a high end system consisting of your favorite speaker of Aida magnitude for argument sake and the supporting gear to them full justice, I don't know, say a top notch Burmester rig but you could only listen at home for a very long time, which would be your choice?

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Pider

Every once in awhile I get in front or next to a cough drop wrapper person. Even in the best of Halls ( no pun intended, but hey.... ).

HINT: unwrap four or five BEFORE the concert starts, please!

+4

or

+5

[Doug Lax]

I would say that a live performance adds a little more from a sensory stand point, but I can't stand it when the arsist isn't even close to performing to the level on the recording. Elton John and Billy Joel do not dissapoint. There is something to be said for seeing Elton stand at the Piano , Jimmy Page bend backwards with a twelve string and Dwight Yokam shuffle sideways. So I would say it depends on the artist.

[Doug Lax]

Originally Posted by Douglax

I would say that a live performance adds a little more from a sensory stand point, but I can't stand it when the arsist isn't even close to performing to the level on the recording. Elton John and Billy Joel do not dissapoint. There is something to be said for seeing Elton stand at the Piano , Jimmy Page bend backwards with a twelve string and Dwight Yokam shuffle sideways. So I would say it depends on the artist.

With classical I would most always take live.

[chessman]

Interestingly, almost every answer framed a response indicating which set of circumstances was more likely to invoke an emotional response in that particular listener. I think the emotional response is the key. For me, it does not split cleanly between live and hifi because I have heard many great and poor examples of each. But at this point in my life, the more likely to provoke the emotional response I crave is listening at home on my system. Ironically, I heard a live concert at lunchtime today - sounded dreadful. Put me down for the hifi camp, since there is no "emotional connection" choice.

[PHC1]

Randy, interesting. I hardly ever had one of those total "nirvana" moments at a LIVE show but when in the mood to really deeply listen at home.... Plenty! You know, that goosebump city type of a listening session that lasts well into the night hours and you don't want the music to stop.

[Pider]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Randy, interesting. I hardly ever had one of those total "nirvana" moments at a LIVE show but when in the mood to really deeply listen at home.... Plenty! You know, that goosebump city type of a listening session that lasts well into the night hours and you don't want the music to stop.

Haven't had that in hifi, yet. But have had that at both symphonies and a New Orleans jazz club.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by chessman

Interestingly, almost every answer framed a response indicating which set of circumstances was more likely to invoke an emotional response in that particular listener. I think the emotional response is the key. For me, it does not split cleanly between live and hifi because I have heard many great and poor examples of each. But at this point in my life, the more likely to provoke the emotional response I crave is listening at home on my system. Ironically, I heard a live concert at lunchtime today - sounded dreadful. Put me down for the hifi camp, since there is no "emotional connection" choice.

Randy, great observation. Thinking about this a bit more, I am more likely to have an emotional response when I hear (or see) something new, something unexpected - and for me that's going to be at a live event - a different interpretation of something familiar, some improvisation, etc. Listening at home - well I can get more out of repeated listening but I'll likely not be as deeply engaged as at a live event. Of course new material on new systems can be revealing...