Yes, and in this case it was as far removed from my live experience of listening to the same piece of music played live from the 5th row of the LSO Barbican as one could get to my ears and brain.
Something to ponder. Your experience of the orchestra in the 5th row at the Barbican is not what the recording microphones picked up; is not what the rest of the orchestra heard as they were making the music; is not what the conductor heard as he did his work; is not what the mixing engineer and producer heard when they took the recorded inputs and mixed the recording for consumption. Your seat and ears are only one point of reference. Whose is correct?
Back in 2001, I spent an enjoyable evening with Larry and assembled guests at what became The Audioworks (I think it was still The Audio Coursel at the time?), in Cheadle. We were working through a system, making interesting changes to get it closer to the music. A variety of recordings were used, one I remember is Lucinda Williams' excellent Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. Towards the end of the evening (we'd arrived at a great-sounding setup), there was some mild difference of opinion on which of the final changes was the most appropriate one**. One of those in attendance voiced his opinion that the acoustic guitar was more naturally rendered in his favoured configuration; he was a guitarist and that's how he heard it. I offered that the other configuration sounded more like a band playing together, and in particular, the guitar sounded more natural to me - more balanced, more tone, more decay. "are you a guitarist?", I was asked? "No, I wish I was. I do - just barely - play bass" I responded, adding "though I have spent the last two days micing up and mixing instruments in a rehersal space for sound reinforcement on a course. My preferred configuration sound more like what I hear - or the mics capture - in
front of the guitarist. This is what your listeners hear in a room, or what is ultimately mixed in a live venue". It was time for a curry and a pint, having agreed there are many perspectives and none were wrong.
Whenever I play 'Lost It' (not the original from Happy Woman Blues), I'm transported back to that evening. Happy days. My system these days is way better than what we were demming that evening, but is my experience better?
We need a reference, and it should be live music. Though everyone's reference - and experience - is different and uniquely personal. From the audiophile that sits rigidly, distracted by surface noise and preferring on obscure pressing of the performance and basing their impression on having heard it on every carefully evaluated system for the past 40 years, to a listener that takes it as it comes, digs into the groove, and passes outrageous comment - all are based on the personal, and all are valid in the end.
** if I recall correctly, we were trialling a new upgrade at Prototype stage to the Music Works power distribution block?
