Getting into the music

I felt the same as the OP all the years since i had no  good system to use and must create one at low cost ...

i was unsatisfied and frustrated ...I had no idea about the importance and laws of acoustics ...

The bad sound was too much for me to listening somtheting else than Bach ...

I learned  then in my own way  with experiments to embed any system at any price , especially with  acoustics...It takes me full time for few years but  i was retired ...

Now with a low cost system i succeeded... No more sound evident limitations, i listen music all day between walks ...Or reading ...

It MAY cost peanuts to create audiophile experience if you pick the right gear with the right synergy, but it is not enough at all ; you must learn your way to understand how to control the mechanical (vibrations resonance) electrical(signal-noise ratio) acoustical (not only room acoustics but psycho acoustics basic) working dimensions of the gear ...

i am very proud of my 700 bucks system headphone and speakers ...

Music is ectasy because if sound is the body of the woman you love,the music is his expressive soul and cannot be reduced to his body so beautiful could it be ...

This has happened to me. In improving my system, I listened for details and enjoyed more slam and as upgrades occur the venue and mastering technics on recordings became more obvious… the quality of the recording became more and more obvious. It is easy to be seduced by hearing details you have never heard before front and center.

I used to call this my reference system. Step by step I had striped all the rhythm and pace from the system… the musicality was gone. 45 minutes, the max I could listen before I got bored. Then I had a wake-up call.

For me, it came when I upgraded my headphone system to a powerful 300B tube system. I could not believe how musical it was… midrange bloom… made me want to tap my feet and move to the music. I got up, turned on my main system expecting to hear even better music and I literally said to myself, “that sounds like sh*t”. It did. Incredibly detailed, great slam, fantastic soundstage and imaging… cold, without emotion. Yep, I had a $70K reference system. If I was mastering albums… it would be great. But for a musical experience… nope.

I changed most everything from a $18K Sim Moon DAC / CD player, and my Pass 350 amp, and now with my Audio Research components I listen to the music, nearly all but the very worst albums sound fantastic.

I have been going to the symphony for over ten years with season tickets in 7th row center… I can attest that the presentation I have now is real… just like the real thing. The venue doesn’t come out and grab you… it is in its place… all the details are there, but in appropriate volume.

It was probably the most important turn in my audiophile journey. I now listen for three hours a day and have to tear myself away each day. You can see my systems under my UserID.

One thing that has helped me actually increase my music appreciation is streaming in random play mode. Roon and others offer random play functions.

For me it’s like when I was a kid and hearing things on the radio is how I got into listening to music.

Except now it’s even better. You can pick the music that goes into your music library and let it play randomly. You hear only things you want to hear but do not have to decide what listen to next. Surprises abound and that is important. Removing the burden of having to decide what to listen to next helps me just relax and enjoy the show.

I started doing this about 15 years ago when I too found myself lacking interest and it has helped keep me in a very good place ever since.

Hoping this might help .

Been there, done that. I solved this problem somewhat by intentionally dumbing down my system. Apart from my speakers, there is stuff out there that is much better than what I have now but I ignore that, don't think about it. I try to make my few appearances here to be helpful to others, don't read reviews or subscribe to magazines, and don't talk much about what I have or have done unless it is serves to help someone else. I guess (and hope) I've been able to reorient myself and focus on the music. Hang in there, there is hope. :-)

It sounds like you're overdue to get out and enjoy some live music. Or, make some music of your own,.

yes, I understand and can relate. On the plus side, I find myself to enjoy listening in ways I haven't in the past. It's a deeper, richer experience with better sound. 

I don't feel like this all the time, but the older I get, the more and more I feel like what you just said.