This is a great thread.
My goal in building a High Performance System is to experience a Flow State.
Flow State is a scientific description of being in the Zone. The way an athlete, or a musician, or a surgeon can achieve complete immersion in an activity such that she that gets around the ego and eliminates the sense of passing time.
When I’m really listening well, I get there. I see my challenge as complete understanding of a piece of music – identifying and tracking every instrument and musician in the soundstage, seeing their interactions, comprehending their intent.
In the rock parlance it’s called melting faces. That’s what I’m after! Ego dissolution. I want my face melted by any piece of music I give my full attention to, whether it’s Sabbath or Tchaikovsky or a girl with a guitar.
Good gear is just a vehicle for getting there. Better gear helps, but all that really matters is my acceptance of the challenge and the quality of my attention.