Do you listen to equipment or music.

I do believe it is necessary to listen to components at certain intervals or when changing out or inserting new pieces into the system.  While I have moved beyond this, I have had times when I did nothing but listen to the equipment.  I listened to the same music repeatedly.  I, frankly, seemed to find more joy in evaluating the system vs. listening to the music.  I am not sure that is wrong if that is what a person wants to do.  I am just pleased to now be regularly listening to the music.  I have even found that doing such has resulted in a broader appreciation of music genres. 

Elizabeth, I am duly impressed, not only with your equipment but your ear for listening that reaches as far as resister adjustment.  You must now be finding joy and amazement in your listening.

I found the best way to return to listening to the music (as opposed to analysing equipment it was being played upon) was by playing those songs I love the best. The songs with the greatest emotional significance to me.

For example, classics like James Taylor's Fire and Rain, Joan Baez's Diamonds and Rust, Nick Drake's Magic, or Joni Mitchell's Answer Me, My Love etc are so enjoyable and compelling that sound quality concerns more or less disappear. These tracks sound great through anything, even a flat screen TV. 

The only time I get a little frustrated with sound quality nowadays is when I'm driving. The system in the car has always sounded a little washed out and lacking dynamics, and the CD player is broke.

So I'm stuck with FM radio with it's crass presenters and endless traffic of bad news interruptions - non stop Brexit waffle. Classic FM is my current favourite because there's more music and less news and talk. It makes many others here in the UK seem Ill mannered.

Even better, once in a while they will play a piece of music so compelling as to forget the poor sound quality in the car - it can happen! I guess if a piece of music really moves you, it can break the audiophile habit of constantly analysing and remind you again why you got into this pastime in the first place.

Music, but if there's something glaringly wrong with your equipment, you'll be unable to enjoy the music. For instance, if your system is fatiguing, as often happens with solid state amps or mediocre DACs, you'll find yourself either not listening often, or swapping components in and out until you find a configuration you can live with.