How does sound influence your appreciation?

How can any audiophile not discern, appreciate sound quality of their systems. I doubt its possible for us to listen without at least some part of our minds appreciating the sound quality vs just listening in music appreciation mode.

I'd suggest the pure music appreciation mode could be easier to enter with lesser systems as critical listening may bring about dissatisfaction, to avoid that unhappy state of mind we force ourselves into music appreciation mode. Devoid this  mind trick we'd quit the entire pursuit.

As my system has improved I'm no longer critical of my sound, rather I'm admiring it. And yes, I do often enter pure musical enjoyment mode, but then along comes something I've not heard previously, ever increasing levels of resolution means the presentation has changed in some way, this stimulus results in my mind going into critical listening mode, but rather than being dissatisfied with sound quality, I'm admiring sound quality.

@rvpiano admits to this very thing, he's admiring the sound rather than the performance. Thing is why should this be bothersome, isn't this in fact the holy grail for what we audiophiles seek.

Good sounding system is appreciated without musicality it won’t connect to the listener. 

It could be that a bad sounding system leaves only the musicianship to be appreciated, so it differentiates more than a good sounding system, which also reveals the pleasing sound qualities of the instruments, voices, and the concert hall. Bad sounding systems leave bad musicians no place to hide.

i concur with your post.

I never needed a good system to appreciate the music i love.

But a bad system/room is a problem to solve if we want to explore complex choral music or big orchestra as in symphonies. Anyway a piano sound horrible in bad system/room. An organ is nowhere near what it is: a beast...

And human voices ask for a good system/room for the voices timbre and nuances...

I dreamed about a high-fi system of great qualities all my life. I succeeded only few years ago without big money investment ( thanks to basic knowledge especially acoustics ).

It could be that a bad sounding system leaves only the musicianship to be appreciated, so it differentiates more than a good sounding system, which also reveals the pleasing sound qualities of the instruments, voices, and the concert hall. Bad sounding systems leave bad musicians no place to hide.

@oberoniaomnia *G*  That was actually worth repeating... ;)

I'm addicted to variety of music, predominately the current currencies' of many 'flavors'....obviously with my penchant of poking things at y'all at large...
In all intent, to make a point from a pointed little head or just amuse if possible in the probable..

I listen in a space that is certainly nor Albert Hall, except for the holes in it with a Different collection of items that suite my budget; But do what I attempt rationally well with the flexibility I think best to accomplish enough inputs and speaker lines out.....

The speakers are a bit of a misshapen line array, floor to flown.  Add or subtract at will, some bi-amping may be involved...

Think a different take on the Wall of Sound.

Certainly not one of Legos' but the sound allows to discern or just enjoy.

And no neighbors to disturb. 👍