I totally disagree with the whole "The more you spend, the better your system will be" ethos-
I believe the art of being an audiophile encompasses the skill of how to get excellent sound at a reasonable price...
That includes learning how to shop for forgotten gems of yesteryear, learning to embrace dated technology, and possibly building a piece or two of your own gear every now and then!
You folks who are always buying the latest and greatest- thank you so much!
My system is built of top quality gear that you no longer wanted.