Concentration

For me to enjoy the experience of listening to my system the most, the music has to sound good.  And I agree that when the system is playing while I am doing other things, I don't pay close attention to either the music or the sound.  But that doesn't necessarily make me doubt my system.

For me, the question is, am I actually trying to "get the best experience with your stereo".  That is not always the case as often, it is on as background music to take my mind off other mundane tasks I'm performing at the time.  But I agree with you that attempting to get the best musical experience, it requires my full attention.  Or maybe more to the point, it requires me NOT to be focusing on other things at the same time.  We can't serve two masters at once.  🤣

Not really. Music listening isn’t a chore

I've never doubted my setup because I was in the Kitchen making some grub and lelistening passively. I've actually noticed nuances in songs when I don't try. Trying isn't fun and if you have to try with your setup, something is wrong

 I listen to 3 to 5 hours of music every day. At times, I may browse the internet or read online forums. It's hard to stare at the walls for a long time. Sometimes I close my eyes, but that will bring on sleep after a while.