And if that is truly your goal, then there are absolutes in this hobby, and indeed some gear is actually better than others and not just different sounding.
Because we are human and as individual as our faces and fingerprints, we each perceive and judge things in ways entirely unique to the individual; your "absolute" may in fact not fit into someone else's version of an "absolute". It's all good - whatever puts a smile on your face and gets your feet tapping and head bobbing. We are not machines, and even if you could quantify all the things that make up a realistic representation of live music in one's home environment there would be those who prefer something slightly (or not so slightly) different. The "hobby" for me is my enjoyment of music and how it moves me and inspires me. This requires no absolutes at all - I just find what works for me and enjoy it.