Are there any speakers that output sound essentially indistinguishable from a live performance?

[mononoaware]

your seats are at the back of the hall?

I think the tickets get cheaper the further back you are. . .
I once got to hear a performance for free, from outside the venue. . .

 

[RayDunzl]

Real cannons?

The original performance for which the music was later composed should be the standard...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia

"Ammunition:

A massive arsenal was established in Warsaw. Artillery was concentrated at Magdeburg, Danzig, Stettin, Küstrin and Glogau.

Magdeburg contained a siege artillery train with 100 heavy guns and stored 462 cannons, two million paper cartridges and 300,000 pounds/135 tonnes of gunpowder;

Danzig had a siege train with 130 heavy guns and 300,000 pounds of gunpowder;

Stettin contained 263 guns, a million cartridges and 200,000 pounds/90 tonnes of gunpowder;

Küstrin contained 108 guns and a million cartridges;

Glogau contained 108 guns, a million cartridges and 100,000 pounds/45 tonnes of gunpowder.

Warsaw, Danzig, Modlin, Thorn and Marienburg became ammunition and supply depots as well."

 

[dasdoing]

I think the tickets get cheaper the further back you are. . .
I once got to hear a performance for free, from outside the venue. . .

that's why I ask. the back in a hall has the worse acoustics. you want to be as close to the front as possible, while still hearing the whole orchestra balanced (too close is bad also, since the violins and cellos will be too loud)..which often is around the first third line in my experience

 

[Robin L]

that's why I ask. the back in a hall has the worse acoustics. you want to be as close to the front as possible, while still hearing the whole orchestra balanced (too close is bad also, since the violins and cellos will be too loud)..which often is around the first third line in my experience

Unless you can be in the front of the balcony, gives you a better blend than the front row, also lowers overall level so your ears don't get burned by the volume.

 

[dasdoing]

Unless you can be in the front of the balcony, gives you a better blend than the front row, also lowers overall level so your ears don't get burned by the volume.

never went up there. I always imagine the acoustic to be terrible there and the higher prices are a status thing. it will probably depend heaviely on the construction.
a balcony like this will sound good?

 

[Robin L]

never went up there. I always imagine the acoustic to be terrible there and the higher prices are a status thing. it will probably depend heaviely on the construction.
a balcony like this will sound good?

Yes, the front row of a balcony often has the best sound in the house. Particularly with orchestra. Of course, if PA is involved, things can get strange. If a room is too big [like Davies in San Francisco] things can get a little diffuse. But at the 1000 seat First Congregational Church in Berkeley the sound is much clearer and focused in the front of the balcony as compared to the front rows, middle rows there are more of a blur. Because the mezzanine at this hall is functionally a balcony and closer to the stage, the front rows of the mezzanine will probably be better than the front of the balcony. Both will be better than the middle of the orchestra seats.

 

[antennaguru]

your seats are at the back of the hall?

Ours are center 12th Row seats in the center orchestra section (there are left and right wings of orchestra seating separated by aisles from the center orchestra section). The Mixing Board is in the 13th row right behind us, and there are 8 rows of table seats behind the Mixing Board. There is also a balcony upstairs. The stage is the full width of the center orchestra section, with line array speakers hanging from the ceiling on the extreme left and the extreme right side of the stage.

 

[dasdoing]

Because the mezzanine at this hall is functionally a balcony and closer, the front rows of the mezzanine will probably be better than the front of the balcony

that's what I was thinking. you would be in the middle of the hall, horizontly, and verticly.

 

[Galliardist]

Yes, the front row of a balcony often has the best sound in the house. Particularly with orchestra. Of course, if PA is involved, things can get strange. If a room is too big [like Davies in San Francisco] things can get a little diffuse. But at the 1000 seat First Congregational Church in Berkeley the sound is much clearer and focused in the front of the balcony as compared to the front rows, middle rows there are more of a blur. Because the mezzanine at this hall is functionally a balcony and closer to the stage, the front rows of the mezzanine will probably be better than the front of the balcony. Both will be better than the middle of the orchestra seats.

The higher you are, the clearer the view of the orchestra and your eyes will assist with hearing. Close your eyes though and the sound might deteriorate. I’ve noticed this effect.
On a related note I attended a guitar quartet concert in a large theatre that was amplified. I was sat half way back- the seating was steep, no balconies . The sound seemed rather good until I closed my eyes at which point the sound of four guitarist on a stage turned into the sound of four amorphous blobs floating some ten feet higher and moving around in space.,, never underestimate the role of the eyes in listening!

 

[Balle Clorin]

5 Pages on this topic?
The only correct answer is»NO»

 

[dasdoing]

you have free choice. which seats you take?

I would go stalls J-20/21

 

[Kal Rubinson]

5 Pages on this topic?
The only correct answer is»NO»

Of course but ain't that the point?

 

[Robin L]

you have free choice. which seats you take?

I would go stalls J-20/21

Next to the oboist.

 

[Robin L]

As regards surround. I had a decent 5.1 system. I thought the classical recordings were not as "enhanced" as pop recordings, particularly those pop records conceived as surround mixes, like Mark Knopfler's "Sailing to Philadelphia" or Beck's "Guero". While these full-surround mixes are tons of fun, they are as far from live, unamplified music as Britney's Spears' "Piece of Me".

I remember the Carlos Klieber/VPO recording of Beethoven's 5th to have better tonal balance and hall capture in surround than any of the two channel mixes. But the speakers still sounded like speakers to me, although the sound wasn't as glued to those speakers, had more plausible imaging.

 

[Tom C]

I’m a little surprised this hasn’t been posted yet. Got the image from Sean Olive’s blog site. T. Edison showed realistic reproduction was possible! At least, prior to the introduction of electrical recordings. Maybe that’s the secret, it has to be all analogue.
The joke is that the blindfolds are over the listeners ears…

 

[Tom C]

I have heard the Big Sound Lab A1's sound real, on well recortded acoustic tracks, Liek the Grisman, Rice recordings Tone poems.

This is a super excellent recording. I really don’t think there is anything meaningful anyone heard while in the studio that I don’t hear when I listen to the disc.

 

[mononoaware]

that's why I ask. the back in a hall has the worse acoustics. you want to be as close to the front as possible, while still hearing the whole orchestra balanced (too close is bad also, since the violins and cellos will be too loud)..which often is around the first third line in my experience

I am just assuming original commenter is trying to “budget” their expenses and still continue having certain experiences.
Maybe they like to experience live performance, but it only makes sense to do so with limited expense.

 

[dasdoing]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiophonics

 

[Blumlein 88]

I’m a little surprised this hasn’t been posted yet. Got the image from Sean Olive’s blog site. T. Edison showed realistic reproduction was possible! At least, prior to the introduction of electrical recordings. Maybe that’s the secret, it has to be all analogue.
The joke is that the blindfolds are over the listeners ears…
View attachment 142188

That was the trick. Blind folds were also deaf folds for the ears. And you are talking not just all analog, but all mechanical here I believe.

 

[Koeitje]

Real cannons?

The original performance for which the music was later composed should be the standard...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia

"Ammunition:

A massive arsenal was established in Warsaw. Artillery was concentrated at Magdeburg, Danzig, Stettin, Küstrin and Glogau.

Magdeburg contained a siege artillery train with 100 heavy guns and stored 462 cannons, two million paper cartridges and 300,000 pounds/135 tonnes of gunpowder;

Danzig had a siege train with 130 heavy guns and 300,000 pounds of gunpowder;

Stettin contained 263 guns, a million cartridges and 200,000 pounds/90 tonnes of gunpowder;

Küstrin contained 108 guns and a million cartridges;

Glogau contained 108 guns, a million cartridges and 100,000 pounds/45 tonnes of gunpowder.

Warsaw, Danzig, Modlin, Thorn and Marienburg became ammunition and supply depots as well."

Oh you play in an orchestra? What do you play?

The 120mm.