Getting into the music

The truth (for me) is good equipment can be had for not a whole lot of money. 

Buying used can get you there too. The trick is once you get that system in place stay with it long enough to appreciate the sound and the music.

I recently noticed an add for a $100,000 DAC?  That is what I paid for my house 35 years ago. Of course I still read reviews but I try not to lust after the "next thing".

If it all becomes too complicated and overwhelming, things (music appreciation) tend to get lost. Take a break from the cycle and when you come back, the music can and will sound fresh again. 

Audiophilia tends to have us listen to the " sound " of our systems. This tends to be more popular than not. IME, systems are designed to allow you to hear the music. The musicianship.....the composition....is it a studio recording, or a live recording ? If you cannot / do not hear / follow the musicianship / the composition, you have the wrong components ( synergy ), the wrong mindset ( mood ), or need a stimulant, such as a gummie / drink, etc. ymmv. My best. MrD.

My solution to that is to focus on lyrics. Their meaning and the way the vocals and music deliver it. Let the music speak to your feelings about the words you hear. 

The problem is not listening to the sound as such , the problem is the fetichist misplaced idea that the sound balance or unbalanced experience  comes from each gear pieces , then criticizing a component as being in need to be upgrade at higher cost ... Most of the times the upgrade is not needed...

The balance and unbalanced experience very often dont come from a lack of synergy between parts , which is possible for sure and not rare , but result from a not well embedded system in the room ...

i listen the sound from my system always  but i hear always  music not sound ...Because all parts are synergetical and well embedded together electrically , mechanically and especially acoustically ... Then if  listening is  a conscious act, hearing is not a conscious act at all , anyway the more i consciously intend to listen the sound , the more i hear the music and nothing else which is called immersiveness experience ...

Why ? because in a balanced system the sound dont exist out of the music and serve it ... In an unbalanced system  some frequencies range , some lack in the transients, some absence of dynamic or some excess ,etc,  impose the same  sound haunting  ghost which hide the recording trade-off choices of any album  nevermind the musical choices ...

I'm playing the back nine at this point in my life and of coarse my upper frequency are rolling off with my hearing So I went with a different approach with my stereo rig  My main speakers have built in powered subs and I also have two SVS Ultra 13subs with the upgraded plate amps  I mostly stream Qobuz and everything is dialed in from my listening chair. The subs are either side of my Tower speakers So I'm having close to a bass array  Anyway when I listen to my music now being so full range and dynamic, I can't get the smile off my face!