How does one get off the merry-go-round?

As a child, I listened to high-end audio in its infancy through my father's system (McIntosh, Marantz, JBL, Akai, you know the stuff). Later, I went to university and played music professionally. My system was the worst, cheapest junk imaginable: a $50 SS Onkyo integrated, a no-name 3 way speaker system with screws as binding posts, the cheapest direct-drive Technics TT with a screetchy AudioTechnica needle. The sound was terrible, but it did not matter. I was more interested in the music. I invested in instruments and records. This went on for about 15 years. Now, I maintain 3 stereo systems and have 8 upgrades under my belt in the last 4 weeks. Everyday, when I come home, even before I say hello to my wife, I immediately fire up the SET monoblocks for warm up. Then I listen for 2 to 3 hours, reading an audio magazine. Then I might move the speakers or clean records or adjust a cable for awhile. Then I will check what is happening on audiogon for another 1 or 2 hours. Then I go to bed and turn on a bedside headphone/CD system that I listen to before I fall asleep. The sum result is that I practice my musical instrument less and less and listen to other musicians more and more. Edifying conclusion: good musicians need bad stereos; high-end audio is the song of the sirens.