Have you reached your end point with this addictive hobby?

Yes I will be the first to say I am done with buying gear for a long time. Prices are too high and if I decide to buy a piece, it will be used. BTW the perfection you speak about is a myth. It’s whatever sounds good to YOU, that’s the finish line. I get your point as poking fun at the hobby but I refuse to take it too seriously. There are much, much more important issues to think about and, in particular, how much more will I have to pay for food, automobile costs and other household goods? If only I had to worry about just ...egg prices???

mitch2 “I don’t understand why this stuff happens”. I fell off my chair laughing when I read that. Everyone here on the gone should have that sentence scribed on a marble plaque above their listening area.

This discussion is interesting and IMO revealing in some ways. Why? Well the question has been posed many times here in various ways, “Are you an audio gear collector or do you get the equipment to enjoy the music? I would say that it’s a fair question and many of us would be both. In my case, I just try to chill, be one with the music (think 60s and 70s hippy vibe). At times I don’t think we give our gear enough chances to really excel or shine. I have had several recordings through different media that sounded bad or really good. As it has been pointed out time and time again the room makes the difference and also room treatment. Another factor overlooked so much while we gear swap is our own ability to hear well. Many factors and I often believe I have not given my system enough chance to really enjoy the music. Not to mention buying near gear is expensive. I like the answer that “I have a built-in control — lack of money”. Not knocking anyone here who enjoys the ride of buying new gear but for me I like to sit back with a Guinness and enjoy the music.

markalarsen- Congratulations! (In the infamous words of the Chinese hand surgeon Sung Shin who put two pins in my hand after I hit a fellow soldier of mine in the jaw long, long ago)…  “you have no self control “.