Man if audiophiles think they have it hard, try being serious about cycling where every few years there's a new trend or technology push and suddenly your functionally and fully capable custom bicycle is obsolete in some way. Of course there will always be people in both hobbyist realms that get caught up chasing the dragon. In cycling, there was a trend towards road bikes being as light as possible with every component fabricated out of Titanium or carbon. A custom built bike might cost upwards of $10K or more. Now the trend is do-everything gravel bikes that can race for hours or carry gear for long bike-camping trips. Much the same way audiophiles buy themselves new cables or some accessory and they get the immediate wow factor and then become accustomed to that sound and it's not as fresh and exciting as it was the day they plugged the new accessory or component in.
I'm selective about what I buy and buy the best that I can afford without taking out a second mortgage. So my bikes that I build up myself are intended to last me years and years of enjoyment. The same with my audio equipment. I upgrade when it makes technological sense to me. I don't begrudge someone who cycles through components looking for that "insert multiple adjectives here"______________ sound. I enjoy window shopping but honestly, I have a young family to raise so I can't justify thousands of dollars on a hobby that, if you let it, has no end point. The pleasure of the hobby is taken over by the active pursuit of some immeasurable perfection that does not exist.
I do cost benefit comparisons on my hobby purchases because once I buy a piece of equipment - bike stuff or stereo stuff I don't want to have buyer's remorse and I intend to keep it for a long time. Warranty, rate of repair, quality of build, ease of self-service (if applicable) all inform my purchases and when I'm slapping my hard earned credit card down on the digital countertop I want to be sure it's what I want/need and that I will get the most out of it.