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

I think "endgame" has to take into account one’s unique and idiosyncratic sense of value. All of us may certainly want to spend more money, but there comes a point where diminishing returns start to hold us back. Just as never being satisfied is probably an adaptive mechanism, so is a sense of diminishing returns. I am at the point where I would have to start spending crazy amounts of money to get a different sound and I’m not sure that it would be an improvement over what I already have. For some people Hegel and Klipsch is their endgame and for others CH Precision and Sound Labs is where they stop. Definitely a personal decision and it is unfortunate that it is often influenced by FOMO or jealousy.
 

Further, it should take into account  the environment in which you listen. Putting crazy expensive stuff with the "ultimate" capabilities in a small room without any treatment is just plain silly. I know people focus on source, amplification and speakers, but the room is just as important if not more so.

I think the idea of "endgame" is like trying to reach the horizon. 

The next chapter may not be about sound quality. It can be multi-channel, or video, or having a vinyl collection sufficient to compete with the variety that streaming offers.  

Personally, I'm like the mythical shark that cannot just float still in the water.  I gotta be swimming towards something.  

That said, I have no immediate desires to upgrade sound. I'm on a vinyl hunting streak right now. Sending some support to the artists instead of the server farms. 

My end game came went I spent over $30K. Wishing everyone luck to find what they want. Cheers

Back in the 80's, I worked for a small chain of mid-fi stores in Syracuse, NY called "Sounds Great!"

We carried lines such as Kenwood, Onkyo, Technics, Sanyo, Audio Technica, Mitsubishi and Samsung VCR's etc. Employee discounts were pretty good at the time. I bought one of the first Technics CD players for about $400. I don't remember the model, but it was a beauty! It had pitch control, and you could watch the disc spin through a window. Along with an Audio Technica AT-160ML cartridge for $40. (employee discount), that was about all I bought from our store as there was a place just down the street called Clark Music. They carried McIntosh electronics and B&W speakers. I remember looking at the B&W 801's thinking, wow, those are awesome but cost about $6000.00 a pair. My budget at the time was about 10% of that so I bought a pair of 3 way bookshelf B&W DM 23's for $600.00 I still have them today. Fast forwarding to today, my system consists of a Technics SP 10 MK2A turntable with a Lyra Etna Lambda SL cartridge, a pair of Pass Labs XA-160.5 monoblocks, a Pass Labs XS preamp, an Audio Research Ref 10 phono amp, a Luxman DX-10 disc player and a pair of GamuT L7 speakers.

Am I done? Yes, for now. My GamuT L7speakers cost me only $4,000. MSRP was about $17k. They sound great to me. Someday I may try something different although I can't imagine anything sounding better for less than $40k - $50k.

@jji666 stated " I'm on a vinyl hunting streak right now. Sending some support to the artists instead of the server farms. "

Hats off to you on this one, I have steadily been collecting Crowd Funded and Merchandise Vinyl LP's from new artists, with the intention to ensure there is a fair remuneration for their work returned.

I have reported before on the Monopolisation of Record Company / Streaming Service, which is substantially loaded as a business in a way that is not favourable to the Artist.

I'm a bit long in the tooth to return feed back on the content of the Album to new artists, even though some content is very very listenable from the initial experiencing. What I do send feed back on is the quality of the medium and recording quality.

To date, using this adopted purchasing method,  I've only received Vinyl that performs to a very high level and is very well recorded.

Quite different to experiences had with Amazon where the  New Artists being purchased have had their medium supplied via this shopping service, which is very noisy and the recording quality sucks, leaving return of item as the only option.

Amazon always wins on the ease of returning goods purchased.