"audiophiles listen to their equipment"

@brilliantdisplays ...and I agree with you, it can be a race to the top that potentially is irrelevant when one 'hits the wall' of greater than your 'on-board' organic ears.
Mine require my aids to have a more 'typical' presentation, but I'm still able to discern 'differences'...
My case in point:
If I'm away from my 'stuff' for a extended period of time...say, a month....I've a period of re-adjustment to it.  I chalk that response to being exposed to various 'n sundry that was certainly 'whatever' it may have been....vehicle radios, Muzak, you get the drill..  If there was the time and the situation, scan the area for a B&M that didn't require an appointment I'd unlikely be able to keep....

2 long excursions drove me to take a small D amp and my 'bookshelf' omni's along, the front end being my cell....Missed the sub that usually paired with, but beat zed.

Spouse thought it nutz initially but our employees were down with it....
"Good tunes?!  👍😎"  

Have Audio Will Travel
(LP's excluded....Picky,  not insane.)
My cell is my Pre, I shall not want. ;) 🤷‍♂️👏✨

@kennymacc & @aewarren ...Precisely.
It's a reproduction of an 'event, elsewhere' after all....
The means to do so is totally up to you, advised or not.
Tune up your mind and ears and go forth into the wilder mess...and mind the holes... ;)

@paqua123 *G* Same fate here, much the place/event memories of the time.
A lot of those places have or have not remained the same, or exist at all anymore.

As for those involved then, moved, dead or could be.  Family mostly keeps track of each other if only for the countdown to the bottom of the list...

Too many places I'd rather be on approach to.... *S*

I'd opt for a Lotus Exige S v. the luxcruiser...😏 ....but a 'warmed up Subu could do well enough if taking the route rarely used beckons hard enough...

...that memory thing... ;) J

....and up to the individual to vote with their budget as to what 'mediocre equipment' may be or not....and how such can be 'elevated' and used for it's strengths, sidestepping it's weaknesses....

Sure, that does require a degree or 3 of analytical listening and some 'hack attacks' on items that in my case are beyond warranty anyway....  

The 'fun' part is when I've made it work to my satisfaction, current as that may be, subject to the next tweak to a detail....

Even if $ no object (not my option), my choices would likely still make one scratch their head and think me even more of 'the odd man out'.
I've only self to please, although any and all are welcome to visit....
Sometimes I think y'all are scared of me.

"Boo" *ironic L*

If cost was no object, you'd likely see me at AXPONA and think "...it's not as expensive as 'X, Y, or Z, but they're omni's....they can't sound good...."

D amps and all....😏

At least it wouldn't require a 2nd on the house to enjoy, major wattage, and be less of a major distraction in the SAF schemes....

Ah, well...born at the right time to the wrong people.....but we all have to run what we've brung.... ;)

AXPONA might be a tad less crowded this year.....just my crystal balls swirling stuff....😎

@hilde45 ...

No one wonders how we can BOTH think about the taste of our food and then go back to enjoying it.   

I think listening to ones' equipment is analogous to considering how your dish was prep'd, cooked, and plated...

...but my spouse is a food show junky....a format that's so ripe for parody I almost can't stand the lack of.... 
Although 'Cutthroat Kitchen' with a physical end to the losers might be a little off-putting....*L*