I’ve thought a lot about this in the past couple of years (turning 60 was sobering to say the least). I’m now 61 and am indeed interested in the end game. I think @rar1 nailed it with this:
There are folks, like myself, who are in their 60's and looking at retirement in a few years, most likely reduced incomes, potentially much smaller living spaces, and unfortunately, either less acute hearing or more serious medical conditions to contend with or both.
I’ve tried more than my share of component/speaker combinations over the years and my current system, which I began to acquire 2 years ago, came about from a long-standing curiosity finally realized. I’m incredibly happy with this system, thankfully, as I’m tired of the seeming endless search and upgrades. Over the years, instead of selling all of the gear I moved on from I stored much of it and have enough in storage for 3 systems (and then some). It’s nice to have back-ups if/when something breaks or boredom strikes.
+1As for all these stunning $5K+ components, that time has passed for me at least. They just don't make sense anymore. It is a hobby after all.