Call it what you will, but certain components can "mold" a sound that can be more enjoyable to some people. and less enjoyable to others.
Tube pre-amps, specific pre-amp tubes, R2R ladder DACs, cables, and speakers are all going to "mold" the sound. Some people are more sensitive to sibilance or brightness (I am one of those people) so I much prefer copper cables over silver, R2R ladder DACs over chipsets and Delta Sigma, Amperex and Mullard NOS tubes versus new production, and more laid back speakers (Buchardt Audio S400 MKII, Tannoy, Fyne Audio, vintage Infinity RS Kappa 7, Thiel, and Joseph Audio (though others may disagree there).
The sound I'm after is something I can listen to all day, provides detail without brightness, has great imaging and soundstage, is fun, and provides good immediacy without hitting me over the head with it. The journey continues