Anyone else grateful that they got hooked on this crazy addiction

Quoting Emily Dickinson and then Frank Zappa! Wow - I just felt my head snap back.

Music (via good stereo systems ) has kept me sane thru a 40 year career in business and a 42 year marriage, aiding two kids and launching them out on there own. 
Digital music is a Great Leap Forward - I get to relive college by exploring artists I forgot about -Boz Scaggs is a gift. So is early Clapton, so is Dylan, so is the new Blues - Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart - I could go on and on.

turn off the news - Happy Listening - stay safe and healthy’

     Absolutely!  
I have been thrilled ever since I got my RCA 45 rpm changer, followed by a Magnavox suitcase portable with a removable second channel, for stereo speaker., and adding a jukebox amp and speaker to this, through stacked Advents with Pioneer stereo, then Fisher quad, followed by Phase Linear 400, Stacked B&W DM14, 1400's, Maggies, 'Stats, and finally B&W 803's with subs. Audire and B&W, since 1970's, and Bryston electronics.
        It is still fun. especially with a single malt and a special smoke.

Yes from the very first electrical shock I absorbed as a kid playing around with my hifi toys.

Our system is powered down.
With both the wife & I out of work we cancelled our Tidal and Roon subscriptions to save money to buy toilet paper.
Now, if I could just find some...

I couldn’t agree more with the op.  Nicely written piece that really captures much of how I feel about this hobby.  At its worst, it’s  a silly but relatively harmless obsession for those with more money than sense - but the satisfaction we get from immersing ourselves in musical bliss is incredible, and especially valued at times like this.  

"More money than sense..."   That's a phrase you often see bandied about on the audio forums.  From my perspective, if you have the appreciation of music and sound quality, and you have the money, how sensible is it to deny yourself the pleasure of a great system?  I know I pretty much have spent my spare dough on recordings and better and better gear to appreciate them on since my first paper route at 10 years old.  The more spare on hand, the better the system gets!  (Now, borrowing money to play like this - - that's a line I cannot imagine crossing.)

I feel that way too, being lucky to listen to music on five figure set ups. I know many would not be able to afford and would think I’m crazy. At the same time though I realize there are people with six figure systems and I feel no jealousy whatsoever. Being grateful is very important.

if I had a four figure system I’d be happy too. 
Three figure maybe not.

@desert  How are you liking your REL S/510 paired with those floorstanders?

It’s late spring 1979 and I’m leaving my first job, a dish washer at Wally Mitchels in Surf City NJ. When Cliff the owners son standing at the back door says “psst yo dude come upstairs and listen to my new stereo” Cliff was great guy and always had tasty buds to spark up. So I’m like “sure man let’s rock”. There it was under his neon blue bong a JVC receiver matching turntable and BIC monitors on a couple of milk crates. On the table was the new Supertramp Breakfast In America album. After a couple of hits he spun up the TT and dropped the needle. I was like WHOA!! Never heard sound like that! The sound transcended anything I had ever listened to before! Heck I’m 15 I’ve been around and know what sounds good. This sounded great! Soon after I gave up weed and have been on a lifelong quest for awesome sound! Glad to report I’ve found my holy grail and listen with great joy in my heart!

Hi my name is Chris and I’m an...

three_easy.....I upgraded to the 510's from a pair of T7i's.  The 510's go way lower and they are so fast.  I have them turned way down since my room is rather small, but they still dig out the low notes.  Boz Scagg's "Thanks to You" never sounded so good.  The upgrade was worth it.

Can totally relate.  I sent in a Devialet D-Premier back to Paris for upgrade to a D-250 Pro.  I thought the D-Premier was as good as it gets,  but the D-250 Pro is just amazing. The sonic upgrade alone was worth it to me, but the added streaming options were icing on the cake,  as it were.  The rest of the system consists of a Chord M-Scaler,  which I use as a front end digital processor from most of the digital sources.  The speakers are Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature Floorstanders, along with a SVS PC-4000 subwoofer.  The Tyler Acoustics speakers are outstanding sonically, as the have all SEAS Excel/Millennium drivers,  along with 1K worth of crossover and wiring upgrades.  The sound from this setup never ceases to amaze me.   The D-250 Pro makes the Linbrook speakers speakers sound like top of the line speakers.   All types of music sound great,  but symphonic music is where the difference is the most noticeable.  

I've owned many high end rigs over the years,  including Audio Research,  Pass Labs, McIntosh,  Electrocompainet,  etc.   To me, the Expert Pro 250 just sounds more accurate than anything else out there.   The PRAT, low level detail, dynamics,  are top shelf all the way.   Some audiophiles may prefer more euphoric playback setups,  but to me, accuracy in playback is the name of the game.   

Been spending more time reading whilst listening to music nowadays. Don't see that changing.  

Your audio system sounds amazing. I don’t think I had much choice as a young boy. I was fascinated by my grandfather’s vacuum tubes laying around everywhere. Is it any wonder I have an integrated vacuum tube amp with NOS RCA tubes in one audio system and a tube preamp with NOS Sylvania tubes in another? If someone says " Genalex Gold Lion"  I will get into the conversation.....