I lately wonder why I’m an Audiophile.

My own 2c are that there is more variability in music recordings than gear, so "optimizing" a system to the nth degree is futile. A fortiori, if you listen to a wider range of music. Solo viola d’amore and EBM/punk are worlds apart sound-wise

Sorry but your 2 cent is not enough...

"timbre" perception and immersive quality of sound and spatial indexes of sound are precise acoustic concepts with no relation to genre of music, styles and other crocodilian tastes, i mean my own innate tastes...

Then system/room can be and must be optimized, mechanically, electrically but especially acoustically ...

I listen all music genre save pop and rock...

Bad recordings as well as better one...

Most of the Russian pianists schools of the past is badly recorded but as said Guttenberg you quote and he is right , they sound better on a better optimized system..

I consider myself an audiophile not afflicted by "upgraditis" ...

OP,

Just my opinion and may Not be applicable to you, just me

I believe you (or anyone else) may have reach the point of knowing that your gear is at its peak and what you hear is the best sound quality you are aspiring for. for the price maybe that you are willing to impart.

Just a background, I started this HiFi journey when Covid started. I did not really know what true good sound is other than what i heard from numerous concerts, operas and live shows i have been too, other than being loud obviously, i can hear each instrument as they are being played, or singers as clear as they can sound.

So, I endeavored to replicate this at home and no way I was able to do it, except making thing loud. So, I relied on the opinion of others and Reviewers and statistically gathered all and made some conclusions. I listened to equipment and with generous return policies during covid, i tried numerous models because i had time at home to do it. (I cannot believe how many times I was at the Post office or UPS) returning gear, as I journeyed, I realize that some equipment sounds good to my ears but has a so so reviews and some gear sound OK I think but has a lot of good reviews and Reviewers uses them as their referent gear. 

Ultimately, I found the gear I wanted and importantly, it has synergy. With this said, I can now learn what is it that most audiophile generally want in their music and magically the Lightbulb lit in my head!! So, this is what I am missing after all. It’s not too far from what i wanted to do or attain, making it sound close to what I heard in actual venues. but there are Compromises and that is what one has to live with

At this point, I know what Quality Music is. I stop obsessing over it, because the next level up is beyond what i can afford. So, I just enjoy the music. The fun is listening to OLD Vinyl recordings. that is truly where I am right now. as I can tell myself, THIS is what music as recorded and played back sounded in the good old golden years. 

Enjoy the music and be Happy

This is a good discussion.  The first piece of advice many years ago was by a small solo owned higher end shop in our town.  I was auditioning speakers and trying to be very A/B at home and this was becoming frustrating.  He suggest I take two sets of speakers home and just sit and listen non-critically.  The "first one you want to turn off after a while that gives you fatigue you bring back, rinse and repeat until you are satisfied....don't over think it."  I did well with that advice then all hell unwound and I fell down the rabbit hole over years until I shelved it all.  Now it will begin again but hopefully being older will make me wiser. 

@laminarman "...This is like photography."

Yes it is.

I have pursued photography about as long as high end audio. Over the last ten years I added a Leica M10 to my stable. And then set out to figure out if the Leica Look was a thing. In the process developed a real appreciation for the camera lenses and the art of photography. Lots of fights with the sharpness as a single dimension... like the details are all guys in audio, and that there is very much something special about a Leica. Like my audio system now. 

Don’t think twice, it’s alright! 👍