Really interesting conversation. I was in collage when the HEA bloomed in the late 80's and have been in and out of the hobby multiple times as my priorities & residences have changed over the years. I have found myself lately building a new lower middle class system PSA BHK front end & DAC with Klipsch La Scala Heritage back end. Yes I'm working on the Amp equation at present BUT the point is that each & every day I ask myself why I am doing this, and is this a sane use of money? Who will want it when I'm gone (55 at present) and why am I not just buying a good pair of headphones 5-7% of the system cost that the kids might actually want some day.
I travel a lot for my work and have lived in Asia and Central EU for a number of years. The paradigm of "status stuff at home" or even the "status home" is quickly going where EU went 20 years ago. There you as an individual are "your brand" inclusive of how you dress and accessorize not the homestead. Speed, Mobility, and group fun are the drivers not listening sessions. Migration from "stuff" to "shared experiences" may be my best shot at description with my limited
engineering vocabulary.