The goal of high-end playback isn’t to copy live sound, but to make recorded music believable.
I often hear people say they want their systems to sound “like live music.” It’s a noble aspiration, but it’s vague. Live can mean a symphony in a great hall, a jazz trio in a club, or a rock concert in an arena. Each has unique acoustics and compromises. Which live sound are we trying to replicate?
What we truly seek is presence—the sense that the performers are right there with us. Achieving that means honoring the recording itself. A well-recorded string quartet should feel intimate and immediate. A cathedral choir should sound expansive and reverberant. Both can be equally lifelike if reproduced faithfully.
That pursuit drives every product we design, from our PMG Preamp and DAC to our Aspen loudspeakers. The DAC preserves microdetail and spatial cues that make recordings come alive, while the loudspeakers present them in a three-dimensional space. Together, they work to create that moment when the speakers vanish and the music appears in front of you.
When your system reaches this level, you stop comparing it to concerts or clubs. You’re no longer checking it against an external standard—you’re simply absorbed in the music. The illusion is complete, and the technology disappears.
That moment—when recorded music feels alive—is what high-end audio is really about.
