I can recall many highly emotional and satisfying moments with "lesser systems." As my knowledge and awareness of "better sound" pursued an upward trajectory, each time a layer was peeled back revealing the complexity and nuance (and, yes, bone-jarring impact) of the performance my appreciation for the music, and those boxes and cables that made it happen grew exponentially.
On a long commute to a business interest years ago, I was scanning radio stations and came across a sermon that caught my attention (good preachers are excellent teachers). The message went something like this: "We are merely ants on a Rembrant seeing textures and colors change beneath our feet as we scurry around, unable to appreciate the masterpiece has been put together in front of us."
This hit home with me on many levels, including the reproduction of music. As we work our way up the "hifi scale", there is a transition from merely seeing (hearing) colors and textures (changes in tone and tempo) to a level where we can more fully appreciate the masterpiece that’s in front of us.
There’s a statement: "You don’t know what you don’t know." Which is to say that many (most?) don’t know what is missing from their musical experience at home, and are quite satisfied with what they own. Do we audiophiles provide musical inspiration to others, or are we bubble busters?