In order to choose new equipment we bring out our analytical skills and look for variables we can detect between equipment. The easiest is details and slam. They are both very easy to detect and rewarding... hearing stuff you never heard before. As you pursue the hobby you add additional parameters.
The problem arises that you can get caught in the analytical mode and when you go home you stay in the analytical mode because what you bought A sound spectacular pleasing to the analytical mode, but does not communicate the music... there is nothing to drop back to. Over time, you end up with an incredible electronic instrument for reproducing sound and lost the music. Music and its emotional connection is primarily communicated through the midrange and rhythm and pace. You can completely loose that.
Then when you sit down and listen, to your system. What is there is incredible bass and detail, imaging but it doesn’t grab you and suck you in. Easy trap. One symptom of this is that you get bored with listening after forty five minutes or an hour. A musical system will glue you to it. After three hours of listening to my system I have to tear myself away... just one more tune!
Lots of high end audio manufactures have had to cater to what people want: incredibly detailed, shiny spectacular, transparent sound with huge kick...so that is what they give them. Some companies have remained true to the goals of producing the best music possible. They add detail and bass, but not at the expense of the music. The gestalt of the presentation must be right. Most of these still use tubes (Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, VAC for instance), although some solid state manufactures are getting better.