As audiophiles, we have an inherent drive (maybe NEED) to analyze, tweak, and pursue. Average just won’t do for most of us. And that’s fine—but it’s preciously easy to get carried away. That’s why it’s smart to have your priorities and expectations set before jumping in. I didn’t have my priorities set. At least not at first. I was on the component-of-the-month merry-go-round for a long time, and as exhilarating as it seemed at the time, in the end it wasn’t very rewarding. And it cost me a LOT. I have no illusions that the rig I have now is the end-all/be-all, but I put it together relatively slowly and intelligently, guided by firm goals and helped by a manufacturer friend of mine, and it has proved its worth over the long haul. It’s lasted by far the longest of any of my systems.
BTW, I echo the suggestion to buy more music. That always makes me less anxious about audio stuff.