Three things I’ve learned about listening.

I, too, don't understand this hobby. I'm here to learn and offer what little I know to others who are asking. I enjoy the music. I am not obsessed with perfection. I am happy with what I have and I am currently focusing on room improvements. This is also a secondary hobby and the primary one (astrophotography) takes up much more time and focus and can also become a money pit or you can learn to make what you have work to its best capabilities. I fall into the later category. I'm willing to fiddle with what I have to improve things and create a better product. 

My son has at least a dozen bowling balls, yet with my 3 balls I held a league average higher than he has yet to achieve. Why, because I focused on what I had and learned to work with those items. He, on the other hand, seems to be trying to buy a higher score. It doesn't work in bowling, astrophotography, or in this hobby. Albeit in the audio you can buy a system that needs less "help" from its environment. 

I fully agree with @rvpiano 's 4 points.

1. If you listen for sonic problems you’ll find them.

2. Since it is a hobby, you feel you have to play with it.

3. If it sounds really good, leave it alone!

4. Start enjoying the music!

I do enjoy the sonic subtleties revealed when my gummy kicks in.

Great discussion.

A hobby is a regular, voluntary activity performed for pleasure and relaxation during leisure time, distinct from one’s main occupation or work. It is a pursuit aimed at enjoyment or personal interest, rather than financial gain. 

Listening to music (at home and live) is a hobby that I am passionate about. How you go about pursuing and playing music depends on a multitude of factors (budget, time, listening space, other people in the house, etc). Tweaking and playing around with my hifi gear is part of this hobby for me. One thing I enjoy about this hobby is that there is no "perfect" sound and it is fun and relaxing to find what sounds good to my ears that fits my budget. Some people who love music are fine with a blue-tooth speaker and a mobile phone. I like taking a deeper dive into recreating, understanding and immersing into the sounds. My wife reckons listening to music is a form of communication for me. Since she is smarter than me, I’ll go with that. 

What I have learned from listening is that I just love music and enjoy leaning about its production and hifi gear to play it on. It is a bottomless well for sure. Cheers!

1. If you listen for sonic problems you’ll find them.

    Of course. As you lean so you discover.  Part of the process.

2. Since it is a hobby, you feel you have to play with it.

     That is almost the definition of the hobby and it’s pleasure

3. If it sounds really good, leave it alone!

      What would be the fun it that?  We are all here for different reasons. Some

      have unlimited funds to spend on finding perfection.  The rest find ways to          

     improve within limited budgets. All successes create satisfaction.

"All successes create satisfaction."

But the greatest satisfactions comes from "rolling your own" rather than paying for someone else to "roll it for you."