good listening/bad listening

I do, too.

However, I do most of my listening at night when the power quality should be better than the day & I still "say, ehh why does it sound like that...I don't remember it soundin like that?"

I think it has to do with stress or how I'm feeling physically as I've noticed that when the same tracks are played later the same night, they sound better.

With that said, "varying power quality" is a factor, also. Another factor may be equipment warm-up time.

Other factors, less well understood, may also be involved.

To mr Bad Listening is when you are drinking with friends, boy that can get expensive if you are not cautious!
I have those good days and bad days, we just had a get-together with members in our little "Ears and Beers" club and wow the system made me proud!

Do you ever listen to your system and say WOW that is great? It really sounds excellent.

Yes, every time I switch it on. Weird I know but it is still amazes me even after many years.

Then, other days you say, ehh why does it sound like that...I don't remember it soundin like that?

No - my system is constant - it does not change in response. The only time I don't enjoy listening is when I have a cold and my ears/sinuses are blocked. If your system does not enthrall you every time then you there is something not quite right. Music played well at realistic levels is always extremely impressive.

There is no "bad listening" from my system. I always think to myself: wow, that's fantastic sound, that's real high end. Well, I don't bother "thinking" that all the time: it's just there as a matter of course.
For listening during conversations or vacuuming or other chores I have a second little system in the same room which is astonishingly good. But for serious listening the high end system only..... and no regrets!!

Stress, sinuses, tinnitus -- the state of any of these affects what I hear and how I hear it. Dave

PS And there's always earwax build-up.