Is the cost of a high end audio system worth it?
One could easily argue that if live music is our standards of reference, we're always going to be better served by simply attending a live concert.
Only, is that true? In my experience, with the exceptions of classical or small venue acoustic performances, live music is almost always worse than what I hear on my high end audio system.
In fact, it's rare that a live performance can even approach a great, well recorded effort by the same musicians. Certainly, live events have more "live" energy that is lost on a recording, but I would suggest that in the same way you get a better viewing experience of a pro football game on television (as opposed to sitting in the nosebleed section), the intimacy and connection to music, coupled with the million-tracks-variety of a streaming service puts my home audio system at the top of the heap.
Live music for those special events or when you get the chance at an intimate acoustic performance, but for everything else, give me my high end system.
