“It makes sense that, in 2019, as we grow collectively more uncomfortable with our own quiet, inefficient sentience, we have also come to neglect the more contemplative pursuits, including mindful listening, listening for pleasure, listening to be challenged, and even listening to have a very good time while doing nothing else at all.”
I suspect that mindful listening is, in part, the reason why some audiophiles believe the most esoteric and obscure system upgrades have a positive effect on SQ.
When they first do the upgrade, they listen more intently to determine the effect of the upgrade and of course music sounds better. After awhile they go back to their more normal level of focus and because audio memory is so short, they are still left with the impression that a positive change in SQ has been accomplished.