I think you are asking a very valid question. After not caring much about music for the past 40 years I’ve jumped into the whole audiophile thing with both feet. I’ve been buying and trying a variety of used equipment. So far I have 3 speakers, 4 amplifiers and 2 preamps with multiple tube options. I’m still struggling with the best way of deciding when one piece of gear is better than another piece of equipment. True A/B testing is somewhere between complicated to impossible and my audio memory only seems to last a few minutes, not long enough to switch cables around. I end up taking notes on certain passages where I think a difference between two pieces of equipment will show up as well as formulating general impressions. All the reviewers that make such definitive and detailed assertions about the speakers and amplifiers they listen to are clearly much more skilled listeners than I am or they simply make that crap up LOL. I have been surprised at how different the amplifiers sound but I haven’t been able to choose one as being best yet. Most of the tubes in the preamp that I’ve tried over emphasize bass which I don’t like so that is easy. But in terms of what might represent the best, ultimate sound, well I don’t have a clue right now. And then there are funny things where it is hard to determine if a change makes a real difference or if you just want it to have made a difference so you hear your system as being better. I would but my Furman power conditioner into that category. Maybe it made things better or maybe I just wanted it to make things better!
How do you know what you're missing?
Without listening to better systems than your own, how do you go about targeting what to improve? How do you know what is possible? It's a case of you don't know what you don't know. I get that indistinguishable from live is the definition of high fidelity, but I don't see that as a realistic aspiration without a dedicated built to spec room and a few orders of magnitude more expensive gear.
Reading reviews or forums can't possibly educate as well as demonstration. "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture," applies to the hardware as well as the media. I've isolated myself for many years prior to current circumstances. I can't remember the last time I actually went and listened to someone else's system. For that matter it's been years since I heard live music, too. (I don't count serenading the cat at home.)
Is it a case of you'll know it when you see it? Is this not a common problem? Or do you just not know it is a problem?
Reading reviews or forums can't possibly educate as well as demonstration. "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture," applies to the hardware as well as the media. I've isolated myself for many years prior to current circumstances. I can't remember the last time I actually went and listened to someone else's system. For that matter it's been years since I heard live music, too. (I don't count serenading the cat at home.)
Is it a case of you'll know it when you see it? Is this not a common problem? Or do you just not know it is a problem?