Is it important to long demo or own HIGH END gear to have a fair accurate view about it?

Yes…. like the Japanese acknowledgment of hearing you…. 

nothing you said, convinces me of most….

Understand….but hopefully you also realize DAC or Preamp exotic capacitors take > 100 hours to break in…..many a LOT more…. sure they reveal glimpses of greatness or @#$&&&&… frequently BOTH in the same listening session….. so most is STILL an aspirational goal for me…..

@asvjerry I would say, knowing Brian as i do…it’s likely a hybrid  oat - wheatberry treble… His reference system is centered around Quad 57 and Croft tube gear… he is on my list of state of mind people to maintain a learning friendship with

@waytoomuchstuff You had me interested at wineglass, sold at Dog. Bless you too !

OP i appreciate your correction…. most creates doubt…. wondering how many tonearms you have heard ? …. while controlling the other variables……

unless of course the amplifier and speaker designer are one and same with a deep understanding of both the load and amplifiers to deal with it, tame as it might be. 

A unique high end state of mind is the ability to understand the trade off inherent in a particular design ( edge clamping distortion and energy storage / release are just 2 attributes of planers…there are more ), being able to relate those to measure and listen results and move the ball forward without being a my way or the highway blowhard …ah that’s a high end audiophile to know….. i seek them out….

Please note i own both planer and point source, oh and a former that approximate the latter ( RIP Peter )

When i hear someone claim to have heard “all “, the thing i know is that person is deluded….