This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Thanks so much for taking the time to post your thoughts on this. What you say makes sense, and for a person with out the higher level math background needed to conjugate all the formulae, this makes sense.

I can see the possibility for all the wave lengths to converge as they near the listener. So just to continue the conversation, I have a hard time believing that everything is in place with such a wide range of instruments. I chose an orchestra to talk about since it has the largest amount of diversity. Much like you mentioned that people seated in different area will hear different things, or the marching band spread out across the field.

What if we look at a grand piano with its lid open. I wouldn't say its a picture perfect horn, but surely its adding to the projection of the sound. Like the single driver speaker that Wayne pointed out as being impossible to be in phase with itself. Would this apply to a piano which covers 7 ? octaves. Let alone a pipe organ blowing down to 16hz at low c.

I would like to see some sound and wave length measurements taking at the same place your mic setup is at the time of recording. Then, play the recorded media and see what it takes to duplicate the same measurements. Is the 2000 interconnect, the 1000 speaker wire, 40k mono block!

Perhaps this kind of measuring and comparing has been done already. I would have thought it would be high on the list of an advertising champagne to offer such results other than, "is it live, or is it Memorex" ! The list goes on in what people have spent and will spend to achieve this perfect colorless sound that 100% duplicates the sounds that were recorded. It strikes me funny that a person would need a audio system worth far more that a lot of the recording gear used at the time of recording.

I'm not saying any of this is bad. I'm just wondering how close to "real" is even possible to obtain. In fact I love the challenge of combining all different types of audio gear to achieve different effects, so to speak. It's great fun/business/hobby.... how ever you may be into it.
And, its good discussion too.

Thanks,

Bill