How long did it take to get your dream system?

Since Junior High, now I am 43!

I put together the best system I've ever had, including dedicated circuits in my listening room, about 6 years ago, which was when I was about 30 years into this hobby. The speakers (Genesis 500), amp (ARC VT100 MkIII), turntable (Linn), and CD player (Marantz SACD-1) remain unchanged since that time. I changed the ARC LS-15 preamp to the BAT VK30SE about 2 years ago. I got a vintage Mac 67 tuner about 2 years ago too. I think this system will stay with me until I get too old and arthritic to bend over to turn everything on and off.
BUT--I have two other systems (living room with ARC tube integrated, ProAc 1SC monitors, and Ayre CX-7 CD player; and bedroom with HT setup--Aragon and Acurus, and ATC monitors) that I experiment with and change cables, etc. It's silly, I know, and when it comes time to move it will take me months to disconnect and box up all my equipment and CDs and LPs, but trying new things is all a part of this hobby. At least I leave my main system alone. I don't want to mess up a good thing, which is easily done if you read reviews and classified ads, which I unfortunately do.

I have been "playing" with audio equiptment for about 35 years. The dream system has come true, but now I have raised the bar... so the journey continues. PS it's an expensive trip to audio nirvana!

Almost 40 years.....!

The true definition of an audiophile has a disclaimer attached in fine print: I will never be content,and will always feel a need to pursue better sound at any cost. Signed-Whatever your name is...........

There really is no end to the hobby where you achieve some dream sound and come to an end. Like any hobby it's ongoing - been at it for over 30 yrs, but only in the "high end" for about 10. The journey along the way is more fun than achieving some dream sound or system -- lots of equipment-- some better, some worse -- much enjoyment. I think most A'philes drop out or cut back mostly cause of $$ or waning interest.

Well Im on my third pair of speakers since (1975) turntable, Forsell 1989. Amps, Manley same vintage. Still look at ads but at some point I got satisfied. Diy looks like fun and its less financially intrusive. Sometimes I wonder at all the posts here and on Asylum and wonder when theres time to listen to music (or even dust the system)

I'm getting a Belles 250i integrated this week, and will save for an audio aero prima cd player and i am going to forget about audio for a long while....I hope!

7 years and counting.
Still dont see my dream system yet.

Think im going to try to build it myself.

Been looking at alot of DYI stuff, im good with schematics and a soldering iron, no virgin to woodworking or metal working. I think ill try a few different approaches and try to combine what i like of each of them into a system that i like.

When i get my HT back in gear i going back to Denon and Definitive Tech, but with the 2 channel rig i think im going to keep everything analog. well.. there might be a cd player involved somewhere in there, but it will be built for analog purposes.

With over 30 years addiction to this crazy hobby, I have only within the last few years begun to approach the level of reproduction of which I'd always dreamed, but never really expected to achieve. The key for me over all this time, though, has been to focus on matching a synergistic combination of components at a managable cost that played well to my listening priorities, and to avoid the trap of equipment "flavor of the month" that would siphon away resources. Even when I knew there was more expensive equipment that could sound even better, I always have been able to enjoy the music my system gave me, in its various iterations, because it always matched well against those aspects of music reproduction that were important to me.

Is the journey finished? No. However, I now feel confident that some parts of the system now are unlikely to be replaced.

After 15 years I felt finished, and actually I haven't bought anything major in five years. I'm quite content now, but I still read the ads. Oh well....

Every time I get to the one yard line, they move the goalposts!