Some very good thoughts here,and here is my two cents. On your current system,or system that gets changed the least whatever, listen to a recording that not only you think is good, but that you think you know every note of. You know, the one you would have to have on an island by yourself.
Now, substitute a component and listen. If you hear differences, what are they? And if all of a sudden you going
"wow, I didn't know that was 2 guitars", or "Damn, she breathes awfully heavy" when your hearing these kinds of differences, its probably a better piece of gear,or a better system.
And live music, always. And again, make sure its something you know recording wise. Nothing beats live music as far as comparision, especially in an acoustic enviroment. If your a heavy metal or electronic music guy, a little tougher because a lot of what you are hearing is not generated acoustically, but electronically. But if you have a female vocalist you really like playing and acoustic set(Hearts last tour for example)if you listen, you will hear nuances in their voices that you will be able to pick up the next time you listen at home.
If you play yourself, it can be a lot harder. I live in Nashville, and some really great musicans here have sound systems that are lacking. I have learned a lot of musicians will hear exactly what they want to, because they have it embedded in their head that way, so definitely try to avoid listening to recordings of yourself when trying to judge a particular piece of gear.
Last point though, Spend more of your time listening and enjoying rather than listening and wondering. You will live longer, and save a ton of money.
Now, substitute a component and listen. If you hear differences, what are they? And if all of a sudden you going
"wow, I didn't know that was 2 guitars", or "Damn, she breathes awfully heavy" when your hearing these kinds of differences, its probably a better piece of gear,or a better system.
And live music, always. And again, make sure its something you know recording wise. Nothing beats live music as far as comparision, especially in an acoustic enviroment. If your a heavy metal or electronic music guy, a little tougher because a lot of what you are hearing is not generated acoustically, but electronically. But if you have a female vocalist you really like playing and acoustic set(Hearts last tour for example)if you listen, you will hear nuances in their voices that you will be able to pick up the next time you listen at home.
If you play yourself, it can be a lot harder. I live in Nashville, and some really great musicans here have sound systems that are lacking. I have learned a lot of musicians will hear exactly what they want to, because they have it embedded in their head that way, so definitely try to avoid listening to recordings of yourself when trying to judge a particular piece of gear.
Last point though, Spend more of your time listening and enjoying rather than listening and wondering. You will live longer, and save a ton of money.