Has this ever happened to you?

Yes.  It stays there until you experience the next "whack you upside the head" moment, or hearing loss.  Whichever comes first.

Speaking of native, internal coding; recent geopolitical events have probably been rearranging things in such a manner that it is effecting musical appreciation as well - for better or for worse depending on how an individual's orientation has been altered. A most important component is our ears and the brain circuitry backing them up. Neurological stress is akin to "noise on the line." So are solar outbursts.
 

I completely turned over my system last year over a 6 month period. Everything sounded really nice and I appreciated the upgrade. Then one day a few months after my last upgrade I noticed the system seemed to open up even more. More liquid, natural and a better image and sound stage. Probably a result of all the new components and cables settling in and me not focusing on the equipment. Just listening. It’s stayed that way since then. I enjoy it every day. 

Happens to me all the time. When it just hit you, I star at my rack (thinking it's speaking to me) then get lost in the music. Everything disappears but the music. 

It can be very emotional at times. Other times it transports me to another time and place when that song held significance in my life.

You have to reach a satisfaction point,matching your components properly for your room and stop nitpicking...Start off with a high current amp able to drive low impedance loads,match a good quality well isolated TT with a cartridge well mated to the tonearm (mass to compliance,respectively)Dont go by price...Matching is the key!..Save your money for other things....I refurb classic speakers and prefer 2 ways with an active sub....