"Do people ever engage in "critical listening" from a positive perspective? It seems to me that it is always about finding faults."
-Macrojack
I've done both, but waaaaayyyyy more of the positive since getting Intuitive Design Summits. I reviewed them here, and what happens is that I think of something I said in the review that sounds too good to be true even to ME. So I do a "reality check" listening to them again, and always end up just smiling. It's a very good feeling.
Although I am extremely picky about sonics, I AM capable of sitting back and enjoying the music and prefer to do so instead of doing multiple "tests." Evaluating the equipment is necessary and sometimes KIND of fun, but it's a means to an end, not the main reason I listen at all. Evaluating equipment as a PRIMARY pursuit is what smart, wise and patient people like Duane and Steve, my dealers, are for.