Anyone else feel like they are “transported” INTO the music

No.

When it's really good, I feel like the music is transported into me. When I heard Ry Cooder play his little guitar solo in John Hiatt's "Lipstick Sunset" live with Little Village, time ceased to exist. I had a cosmic out-of-body experience, as high as I've ever gotten from music.

The same happened when I heard J.S. Bach's Concerto for Four Harpsichords (BWV 1065) performed by Trevor Pinnock conducting The English Concert (whilst playing harpsichord!).

I’m not a big fan of Bach Harpsichord Concertos for more than 2 Harpsichords.

It is too difficult to distinguish the keyboards.  That same work exists in arrangements for multiple instruments and I find that much more satisfying.

  I get “lost” in the music listening to DSD recordings of Chamber Music, which is the only time that I have really felt that the musicians may actually be live in front of me.  Otherwise I am always conscious that as good as recording gets, it isn’t equal to the experience of live acoustic musicians performing in a real space

@ghdprentice Yep, that is the destination. Took me 45 years of research and investment… but I am there also. I get lost in the music.

Well I guess I don’t feel as bad having read this, trying 45 years for me too - this year. Only in the past 1-2 years have I been able to truly start to hear 3D vuloptious (sound coming from the sides, and slightly from the rear) with a 2-channel mono block - all tube system. Gotta be fully warmed up of course. My other Class-A 50w SS amp setup comes kinda close, but not the same as tweaked up tube pre/monoblock amps imo.

However, getting there without going overboard on spend has been my series of hurdles. Was not sure if it was even possible. Probably reached a peak of the best I’ll do. Its been a fun adventure. Recently started getting back to being "lost in the music". A good place to be at this juncture of life.

Sure! Happens with speakers and happens with headphones if the source material sounds right. 

Thanks all for the interesting comments and suggestions—made me listen to some new music. Loved the concerto for 4 harpsichords—the 4 are nicely spaced across the sound stage and really fun to hear the weaving amongst them. Agree some of the most gorgeous separations of instruments is in acoustic chamber music settings. Also great with any quality jazz recordings like pretty much anything with Diana Krall—esp singing with bass and guitar on Love Scenes, and harmonies on Wallflower tracks. Newer stuff like Yoyo Ma et al Not Our First Goat Rodeo fantastic. But older stuff like Peter Paul and Mary Don’t Think Twice great, with Peter and Paul guitars leftish and rightish, their lvoices right and left and Mary’s smack in the middle are lovely—you can really hear the detail in the harmonies. And fun to separate voices in close harmonies like The Judds or Girlyman (eg, St. Peter’s Bones) tracks. Took me a while to get my speakers and sub spacing just right—speaker fronts about three feet from back wall, about 9 feet apart, listening chair a little more than equilateral triangle away. Small changes in chair distance can tighten up or separate music elements to my liking. I have a wide screen TV in the middle I cover with a heavy quilt for serious listening—much better midrange clarity. Thanks for your thoughts and letting me share some of my guilty pleasures.