"I eventually found difficulty in taking the required time and patience to dial in a single recording because listening time is always cut way too short."
The opposite is true for me. I find tuning to be a must for listening. You can tune to one setting and leave it like that, or you can tune per recording. Since meeting Michael I spend all most all my free time listening to my system or going to hear live music. Everything music means more to me now like I'm a part of it.
I'm surprised you had difficulty tuning. I find it surprisingly easy and fun. Of course MG is a very good and patient teacher. He gets you thinking and doesn't waste time on theory building. He simply knows how it works and does it. Again talk and walk. I find the hobby of listening to be more enjoyable than someone talking maybe and if. I also feel good in the fact that tuning has been around forever and stereo is still a baby. There's something about tuning that makes sense out of the hobby. Especially when you read all these conflicting theory builders go at it like they discovered something new. I feel better about using what has always been there.