“I’m losing my discernment because the sound is so much a part of the equation”
How can this possibly be a good thing? In my book, this is as much of a negative as not being able to appreciate a great performance because the sound is not up to a certain (personal) standard. Not every performance is on the same level of artistry. Some are exceptional, some are bad and many are somewhere in between. Yes, great sound is always a good thing and we all strive for it. Our presence here makes this obvious,
Whether the quality of the sound or that of the performance is one’s top priority is a personal thing. However, it seems to me that each deserves as much scrutiny as the other. To answer the OP’s question more succinctly: Very little, if at all.
