How close to the real thing?

I disagree with the previous answers.
From the starting point of recorded music.. The wax cylinder.. the sound THEN was perhaps at least at 30% in reality. (consider it an exponential curve)
By the 50's we were at least up to 80% or better.
Now i would say state of the art os up near 90% to 95% minimum.
Of course with an exponential curve, the closer we get to 'real' the harder it is to get better!
And with a curve going to infinity (true in every way to perfect reproduction) we probably will NEVER get to !00%.. but we are a Hell of a lot closer than 5%!
IMO that sort of answer is just to elicite consternation/controversy, and has no merit, or is taken out of context.
And of course as we get better, the gaps in what is left to achieve become more apparent, and perhaps the desire to get those last little itty bitty bits might make one say we are so very far away from 'perfect sound forever" LOL.

I guess it is all perspective, I can tell you that on the small jazz ensemble that I told above. Instrument placement is outstanding as is height and width, the realism of the instruments also right on. I have had more comments than I care to mention along the lines of "wow, it couldn't get any better without having the artist with you"... There is no way 5% draws those comments.... Of course..... being perspective?
Good Listening, Tim

Elizabeths answer +1 - I'll go as far to say BOSE is better than 5%. OTOH if the recording is bad - well it may very well be less than 75% - That's my opinion

Assigning an actual percentage would be an exercise in intellectual futility and meaningless as nobody would agree...it's enough to say that I've not heard reproduced sound, sound anything like the real thing, EVER.
Varying degrees of 'wow', but not enough to fool anyone.
OK, not enough to fool me, I can't speak for others.

Larry

Recently heard some tapes by the Tape Project played back in a recording studio. It was at times better than real could be and left me not caring that it was more so. It was just so enveloping. How near or how far matters less than how involving. If it gets to you its great if it doesn't it is just a group of sounds but no matter how well produced it is NOT music. So what percentage, it depends on the set up, the room, the recording venue and the recording engineer's ability and equipment. Each is different so sometimes 5% sometimes in the best situations perhaps 90%.