When all of the gear is performing to it's utmost potential, it's real. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. But you can't if the cues aren't there. If they are, then everything is happening as it should, just to a smaller scale. When my TT is right dead on, I can envision a tiny band playing right there in the groove. In the amp I listen to day in and day out, I can easily hear a 2mv improvement in offset. The 'hobby' part of my interest is purely technical. When that part I have control of is satisfied, musical enjoyment begins regardless of the shortcomings of the source material. Otherwise, where's the fun? Having said that, recordings are neatly arranged according to quality in my memory.