My observation, no big shock here, is that there is not a single answer that applies to everyone.
In my own case, the tone, especially for piano, saxophone, trumpet, and snare drums has to be right...or I find my mind wondering away from the music and thinking about "fixes".
On the other hand, I have two friends who don't care so much about the tone. For one, its all about the bass; if it isn't pushing him into his chair, then he isn't happy. For the other, its all about the volume; it has to be loud and anything below 90db just doesn't sound right to him.