I wonder if anyone has ever tried hypnosis to heighten their experience when listening to a recording. A suggestion that “you will feel like you are actually there” could go a long way for those who can allow themselves to be hypnotized.

I think what it comes down to we like gear and tinkering with audio systems, and what changes we can make to bring out different sounds in our music. Then, once we have lived with particular arrangement, we get to change something and listen to our music all over again, and determine which songs were enhanced by the change and which song were not. That’s my approach at least.

I’ve had similar experiences where I immediately started A/Bing once I get in new gear and thought it sounded better. But over time, I would grow disenchanted with it.

Then other times, I would be disappointed with my initial A/Bing, but over time would grow to love it.

So I no longer put much weight to A/Bing without first using the thing for at least a few weeks. I’ve come to understand that I won’t know what it’s like to use it without, well, just using it.

This is why I held onto my records and try to get high sample rate digital stuff. I noticed my engagement dropped off when I first started listening to CDs, in much the same way as you. But not my cassettes in the car nor my records at home. I enjoyed them as much as ever.

I noticed that passengers in my car would actually listen to my cassettes, but started talking after a few minutes of a CD. My toddlers would be moved to dance to my records but ignored CDs.

IMHO human beings notice the missing bits of low resolution digital. It’s like cats and TV. Cats will watch and engage with images on a 120hz refresh 4k TV, but don’t even look at a CRT.

There is the newness factor, but also the experience factor. The more i change my equipment the more I’m becoming dialed into what I like.

For example, I always thought I liked a warmer bass heavy sound with some treble sparkle (V shape). As my equipment evolved/improved I’m finding I like clarity, detail and a rich neutral to slightly warmish mid range and a more neutral bass response and am more treble sensitive than I realized.

I’m also learning about system synergy. These things are subtle, but noticeable. I recently picked up some new speakers that hit the mark for me and I’m listening to more music than normal. I listened to a lot before.

However, when I hooked those speakers to my tube amp they weren’t getting it done for me the way many older speakers do. So instead of selling the old ones I’m keeping them for the synergy. I like to switch out what I’m listening to for my main system every 3-6 months to keep things fresh.

I think blind testing is the only true preference testing. No one can actually remove the effect of preconceived ideas or bias, although lots of people on here claim they can. Another issue is that you have experience with your old system. This also contaminants testing.

Personally, I think we can figure out what we like when presented with blind tests of all new equipment.

Hopefully, you like the look of the equipment that sounds best to you. That’s also important.

Yes, for me:
I’d like to replicate what the mastering or recording studio artists and / or mastering engineers were hearing in the studio or live venue.

For example, I was watching a video of one of my favorite artists in a professional recording studio and they had a nice pair of Genelec monitors. I couldn’t see the room details but it looked like they had nice room acoustic treatments too.

Tell us which speakers you compared?

No, we don’t know.

I comfort myself with having spent a lot of money in coming to this conclusion. Or non-conclusion, often referred to a confusion.
Been pursuing audiophile sound since the 70’s. I have about 7 sets of speakers. Currently loving some Tekton Electrons. BUT - a pair of bottom-end Mission speakers and a noname subwoofer that I tried unsuccessfully to give away, and that sat outside for a couple years just happened to be handy while I was cleaning out the garage, so I hooked them up to my Wilsenton R8 tube amp so I could motivate myself with some music and wholly EFFFF…sounds very good. A buddy came over and was impressed. We had a few beers and tried to figure this out. The answer came out to my garage’s previously unrealized excellent accoustics and the fact that we were in a good mood.
So, good sir, carry on. Listen up, listen often and just enjoy the ride your ears take you on. And don’t forget to feel good about all the dough you’ve lavished on all that stuff.

I usually hate everytime I’vev done A/B tests. It gets really boring, and I preferer to just install a new setup and listen to them over time. The real shock is when I try to go back to my old system

Good question. I had an old air rifle that cost <£100 for a few years. Sold it and got a really good one for >£400 that was superior in every way, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the old one. I think the perception that you got a bargain can play into your enjoyment of something you own.

I’ve got my CA AXA-65 and a pair of Revel M16s which I got a decent price on and I couldn’t be happier. I honestly feel like if I won the lottery I wouldn’t want anything more.

Hearing is to listening as taste is to eating… You like what you are used to and comfortable with. My wife was trained to like music coming from an all in one unit with low power, integrated amp and crappy speakers with no separation and high tinny sound. She prefers a blasted UE Boom to a Bryston pushing Maggie’s.

I know exactly what I like and that is a heavily treated (dead) room with a ruler flat response from 20Hz to 20KHz (16KHz is fine) relative to a slightly shallower Harman in-room target of -0.7dB/oct, constant 55 degree directivity and amplitude modulated distortion below -25dB.

I think we can like a variety of things, these things are not always stagnant (moving and dynamic), and our moods and taste change. I think many of can have a few things that remain the same also. I find it all fun!

None of us are qualified to know what we like.