Concerts vs home listening - an interesting topic.

Granted there is no substitute for the excitement and enjoyment of a great concert. Trouble is, that of the many I've been to, not many are truly memorable or great. I'll still attend any good concert if I have the chance, but sadly, live in a (lovely) spot on earth where such enticing events are rare.

However the negatives re concert attendance are numerous -

* they can be expensive, wickedly so with opera

* attending can be a hassle with travel (sometimes in inclement weather), parking, ....

* you might not be in the mood for the particular music being played

* the hall acoustics vary a lot so seating positions offer different experiences

* not all seats are very comfortable and not all neighbours add to the experience

So, I'm happy to be hearing great sounding music (with or without great video) of items I'm in the mood for, at a time convenient to me, in the comfort of a lounge seat, with or without a nice red wine, courtesy of Meridian & others.

Yes, home entertainment is a more "artificial" experience than going to a concert or the theatre but that is not really the point. The point is to enjoy the music, even if it is sometimes less than the absolute sound (IMO this is a pot at the end of the rainbow anyway but Meridian has brought me closer than any other componentry).

John