How close are you to being to your endgame? My system outline and I'm almost there.

I guess you're right with the "good enough" statement for sure. That's how I feel about mine. There is plenty better out there than mine but I don't know if I would even buy it if I had unlimited funds. I really like what I have at this point and I like the sound signature of the whole system. Maybe a better dac at some point but I'll have to save for years lol my system is good enough and will especially be once I get the newer cartridge. I watch videos and read about the newest and greatest this or that but I think mine can hold its own and is plenty good enough for me. 

Next I'll work on finishing my room this winter. Right now my system is in an open basement. The whole thing is I think 32' wide and probably 40 feet from the front wall to the only wall behind my chair. I have it setup where it's about 15' wide and from the front wall to my head is probably 20' feet or so. The ceiling is about 8'10" and the right wall is sheet rock. The left side is all my record shelves to make a makeshift wall. The front wall doesn't have sheet rock yet. I have about 15 more sheets to hang at some point this fall when I get more time. The front is concrete with studs and mineral wool insulation with fabric over it. So like a whole wall of absorption which is not ideal. I know things will get better with some more reflections eventually and gain some soundstage width and depth when it gets finished up. The floor is concrete with a large thick rug in the center of the listening area. This winter the goal is to finish that last couple of walls and then start really finishing the whole thing with carpet and furnish like a really finished basement. I have to do everything slowly because the wife hates spending money on the basement and really hates everything to do with my stereo lol. 

I'll try to get some pics posted after the zenith mk3 shows up tomorrow and I get it all together. I'm just hoping to get some extra time to actually listen and enjoy it. We have horses and the kids are always busy wanting help with them. Seems like in the summer I don't get into the house after work and the barn until after 10pm usually. Just always something to do outside in the barn with the horses or cows after working all day. I definitely start feeling it more as I'm getting older lol 

@tomcarr thank you. It really is pretty good feeling to not be wanting everything better. I've had my esoteric dv-50 universal player player the longest and I've never really had any urge to get something different. It works great, sounds even better and I even like the looks of it. Lol then my vpi aries turntable I've had the next longest. It's been the exact same way with it as the esoteric. It's plenty good enough for me and I'd have to spend a good amount more to try to get much better. So I haven't even thought about different tables because again mine works great, sounds great and I love the looks of it too. The the Rowland coherence ii preamp and bps along with the 8ti are pretty new in the system but I love them

I don't think I can or even could get much better than those. My newontech dac07 came in a trade to replace my old mytek Manhattan ii dac as kinda a short term piece but I really enjoy it. Yes there are better ones for sure but it sounds very natural and musical in my system without any analytical edge and that was even streaming from the wiim pro. So I think the dac is plenty good for some time. Then the innuos zenith mk3 should be from everything I've read, just the perfect fit into the system. So with all of that, I really don't have any urge or reason to want more. I would like to get a used ds audio w2 or 003 cartridge and energizer. After that my vinyl will be plenty good enough. Right now I am using an old denon 103r with an old project phono box ds phono stage that I've had as a spare foe a second system. Right now the vinyl sounds pretty good even with that.

I have watched some videos and read some things about people being at the end of their journey. It really makes sense to me 

Might as well have time to enjoy other things and just be happy to listen to some music when you have time. 

@gkelly I hope it's going to be that kind of experience. I'll eventually get to the cables but that can be my play around time after I get all the major components done and purchased. I've never really played around with different streamers much. I had a microrendu before with roon and then the wiim. So I'm hoping this is that kind of experience and just another check off the list of gear. I really think that's where I'm going to be. I can always make a second system again for my daughter to play with and enjoy buying and selling for it but this main one is pretty good right now. I'm actually playing some right now and just smiling. 

@grannyring thanks. I have had a ton of gear in the past but this is the best I've ever had it sound. I really think it's a synergy thing. The whole system just sounds great together. I'm definitely excited to get the zenith mk3 tomorrow. It will end up being a nice unplanned birthday gift to myself lol

@kennyc sounds like a great system that you have. I think just starting with a great system would be great and simpler than all the trial and error but definitely more costly upfront. I have to try and save up money and then sell something before I get anything new usually. The problem is that now I've sold most of the extra gear I've had sitting around. So money will come a little slower now. I've definitely enjoyed the journey of the different systems though. Learned some things that I like and don't like. I don't think I'd change much though along the way. It's been a great process. 

@vuch and everyone else that's posted, that's so awesome that so many people are there or very close to it. I know with myself, it really is almost a relief. I don't even think about wanting anything more. Maybe play around with a second system or something like that for fun but really am happy now. Work on the room and tweaks if I'm bored but I was smiling last night when I was playing. That's all we can ask for 

@gkelly I got it all installed and up and running last night after midnight. So I played around for a couple of hours and I was stunned at the improvement with the zenith over the wiim pro. Obviously I will get more time with it but I loved it. Just seems so natural with still lots of detail. I don't play cds a lot but reminds me of better cds or more like the few sacds that I have and I thought they sounded great. I put the updated picture up with the zenith in it. I do wish it was the silver version but I will survive I think. Now I'm going to just enjoy it for a long time. I'll start saving up for the cartridge I want but not in a huge hurry especially when the streaming sounds as good as it does. I'm just running low on things to sell to try and help me save up some cash. Might need to sell some more vinyl yet. I can rebuy vinyl anytime. Just want to have all the equipment done with only the cartridge left. I so love this hobby. 

@charles007100 ​​​​​​

Yep I talk to Mikey and watch most of the live streams. If you watch them and ever hear him mention Andy from Des Moines or Iowa that's me. He's always very helpful when talking to him on the phone. He definitely knows his stuff and really enjoys helping people get to their endgame too. I just wish I could have had the money to buy everything from him rather than just wait for things used to come up.

I definitely agree with you about the newontech dac07. I have been streaming lately and it just sounds amazing. I think this dac is plenty good for most people that have actually heard it. Especially for the money too. I'd still like to get a Rowland aeris at some point just to fit in more with my system. That would be the only one I'd swap it for. I think that would really look and sound amazing. We'll see eventually down the road. I still want to get the ds audio cartridge and energizer but I have to get a lot of things sold before that will ever happen. Hope everyone is enjoying their systems.