Avery Fischer Hall vs my stereo

[TudorTurtle]

Does big symphonic classical music suffer the most from the recording and playback process?

After my last 4 concerts of the NY Philharmonic, I still love my stereo and love what it does for rock, pop and jazz - as well as the modern minimalist and smaller classical groupings - BUT I don't think there's a stereo in my future that can come close to a live performance of a large orchestra in a great sounding hall.

 

[woodj]

The Hi Fidelity quest over the many years has been to emulate in the home the sounds you describe. And so the quest continues in some circles anyway.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Hate to break it to you, you want concert sound, go to a concert.

This is so true.

The role of an audio system is direct playback, without adding anything to the signal it is fed. That is a hard thing to accomplish but that is what we are trying to do.

I believe the bolded part is your opinion which is fine. It may also be the goal of some manufacturers, but I believe that all the signal processors for an audio system show that personal taste can be a big part of what one wants from an audio system.

Someone that has had his ideas about listened pilloried here on AK brought over his setup. No I did not like it but it was the way he wanted to listen and it brought him joy. I'm ok with that and would have been happy to sell him what he needed to make the system sound the way he wanted it to even though it is not direct playback. In his case, I thought of him as being part of the production of the music instead of just a listener.

Back to the OPs comments. I don't know if the full orchestra or a single piano would be more disappointing on a great stereo after a true live performance in a great sounding venue.

 

[onemug]

Got an idea for your next thread...

Went to see The Producers on Broadway. I still love my 3D TV but I don't think any TV in my future will replace that live performance.

 

[Brian]

Go get a Fisher ss receiver from the US made offerings and a set of XP18 or 15 speakers. Add a Lincoln-Fisher changer loaded with a Shure M3D or M7D and you may be there. Avery voiced his product around the hall.

It is matter of voicing of the system and not trying to get something spouted as a straight wire with gain. As a young'in I used the BSO as my target standard as did most of the NE based companies.

 

[Marantz 2270]

Go get a Fisher ss receiver from the US made offerings and a set of XP18 or 15 speakers. Add a Lincoln-Fisher changer loaded with a Shure M3D or M7D and you may be there. Avery voiced his product around the hall.

It is matter of voicing of the system and not trying to get something spouted as a straight wire with gain. As a young'in I used the BSO as my target standard as did most of the NE based companies.

^This
Voicing FTW IMHO

 

[HTHMAN]

Does big symphonic classical music suffer the most from the recording and playback process?

I would say any ACOUSTIC performance suffers a lot from record/playback. It is funny that I contemplated a similar thread last week after I attended my granddaughter's college orchestra concert. I simply can not get the same effect from a 2-channel stereo as I experience in a hall. On the other hand, I have attended live concerts of groups that I thought did not sound as good as their recordings. They often have a hard time replication on stage what was mixed in a studio.

Both worlds will always exist and I will enjoy attemnding live concerts and plays as well as listening at home.

 

[DOBIEGUY]

Avery Fisher sidebar story

Hey Brian
Avery ol'boy sure produced some fine gear.
Good thing he is not around to read what the critics have been saying forever about the hall.
Interesting Wiki read.
Happy listening

 

[bburroughs]

The hall is a huge component in the sound of a live performance, and is one of the toughest things to reproduce in a home listening room. Personally, I find that a good orchestral surround recording played back on a well-balanced 5.1 system comes closest.

 

[TudorTurtle]

...you want concert sound, go to a concert.

That's the basic deal, isn't it.

As to the second rate acoustics of AF Hall, it's a sad story. I think the sound is better since the mid 90's alteration, but there are some very poor seats; I didn't like Orchestra Left or Right sections at all. I have yet to sit in Center Orchestra near the front - seats that are 100% subscribed. My current favorite listening spot is the first tier, second box away from the stage.

 

[BMWCCA]

. . . and if you want big concert-hall sound from a stereo, take a huge, ass-kicking stereo system to a big concert hall!