Good old days

Reminder to my future self - when I get to a point of four word unhelpful forum replies, this will be my signal to stop monitoring this site and bail out for sure.

Or find the mouth of an open volcano.

First, I want to applaud you for posting about this issue. It's a vulnerable topic to post about, and given some of the replies that emerge on this forum, you take risks in order to hear from others. Bravo.

As you know, given your education, most of the music enjoyed in the world and, over time, has been experienced in ways that would not be defined as "serious listening." One thinks of the salons of Europe, table music, liturgical music, tribal music, party music, driving music, cooking music, romantic music. Yes, there are occasions when attention is paid in analytical or serious or immersive ways, but those are not the rule, those are exceptions.

For me, your question branches in two directions:

1. Can you divorce your own attitude about music from its monogamous commitment to "serious" listening? It sounds like you need a way to "flip a switch" — or as we used to say, "chill out," when desired.

2. What might you add or change in your system to help with #1? I think the suggestion of different speakers might be the way to go.

I recently listened to some Stenheim speakers. They were quite amazing, and did some things my speakers (1/10th the cost) couldn't do. But more than anything else, this system was different. It was "fine dining" as opposed to a delicious "home cooked meal." I like the latter, better — comfort food and comfortable circumstances — all done with care, excellently. 

Maybe that's what you really want to move to — aural comfort food, done well.

Of the speakers I have heard that were simple, engaging, inviting, and non-analytical, nothing has really beat Fritz's Carbon 7 SE Mk. II 

It is not his most expensive speaker, but there was something it did that just pushed past audiophile thinking, straight into the music. I auditioned it for 6 months and then sent it back. Now, many speakers later, I realize that there was something he did with that speaker that is kind of magical. Just a thought.

@ebm 

Pack it in ASAP.

Perhaps good advice for some posters, here. Don't take it too personally, though! You're always contributing the best advice! Keep it up, buddy! Everyone loves your comments!