Donald Scarinci says, of the Teldec Lopez-Cobos performance of the Mahler 9th, perhaps on a 5.1 surround system: >You are experiencing a live performance No, you are hearing a recording in your home. Most of us who have actually heard a live performance of the 9th (as I have been fortunate to, many times) would assert there is a tangible difference, no matter how good the recording or the playback equipment/environment. len.