Learning to Listen: Neurological Evidence

Which is why I constantly warn people off of listening to their gear. You get to a point where you can hear the dust settle on your cables. What good is it for your enjoyment? You’ve become a dust detector.

Best to buy good gear and then try to retune your ear/brain to music. Take courses in music theory or music history and stop chasing down the next big tweak.

This is also why I simply cannot listen to gear in a room with poor acoustics.  I don't have that ear/brain filter many of you do.  Good for you. :)  So for my ear/brain musical needs good room acoustics are essential.

Seems that works for your interests Erik, but others enjoy differing aspects of this hobby. We are not all the same with the same audio/music desires or curiosities. Some love the music plus these other aspects of audio. All good. This site is about sharing these common passions and learning. No need to try and change other’s curiosities. 

"I am a neuroscientist"
Thankfully, you're not Mayim Bialik?

gerryah930,  When I see/hear that line, I immediately think
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/mayim-bialiks-neuriva-commercials-make-questionable-claims/
No vote for Jeopardy host also.

"Not too long ago I saw an article in a scientific journal (misplaced as I am wont to do lately) which spoke entirely about reducing/eliminating tinnitus by training the brain to not process the errant signal it is receiving."

barts-there are many studies with this goal, but unfortunately all still far the goal. I'm patiently waiting.

I must be one who can hear the details at many more than 5 times as predicted by modeling. I routinely listen to individual instruments throughout entire songs and it's been my experience that the most enjoyable songs are those that are made up of instrumental parts that could basically stand alone as their own songs and a vocal part that sounds good acapella. So if that bass line is moving up and down the scale instead of being stuck on one note for many bars, if those drums are using cymbal crashes and riffs at appropriate times, if the rhythm guitar is also moving around on the scale, and if that lead guitar is somewhat mimicking the vocal melody and is played as something more than just a filler when the vocals are silent, these songs tend to be more enjoyable to me. When a bass line is just playing a rhythm on a single note for several bars or the drums are just a pounding beat (as is true in much of newer music), then these songs tend to be of less interest to me. I play music trivia and when one of my teammates says that a song that is being played is great and then I point out how uninteresting the bass line is, I've ruined quite a few songs for people. I don't try to ruin the song for them intentionally, but I do try to get them to hear the individual instruments and then they get it.