Fantastic take! 100%. Chasing the dragon…Played live 20+ years, been to many 100’s of shows from Tool in sold out arenas to jazz trios at Yoshi’s and Blue Note to solo classical guitar…those moments when you forget you are listening to a recording are the peak listening experience.
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.