Hmmm... Interesting thread. I'm glad to see some recognition is now being made to the use (or sometimes abuse) of dynamics and volume in performance. Also the value (or otherwise) of timing. And planned repetition. Performers out there might benefit from finding out how your ears work with your brain, as well as the mechanics of sound systems, instruments, etc.
How ATRAC coding for minidiscs works is useful.
An observation: No matter how good the performance content or standard of an individual or group, without thoughtful variety of all musical (and visual) aspects THEY GET BORING after a while... (falls off soapbox in drunken stupor!).