@phillyb and the elephant in the audiophile room, is that if you don't fix the room, and spend real dollars there, the sound you will get will plateau. No amount of money, no fancy cables, no power conditiondf, no tubes in your DAC, no new cartridge, nothing will get your past a certain SQ.
New equipment
Just as I was smugly listening to and very much enjoying my MUSIC, I went and bought a new piece. At first, I was so happy with the improvement it made. But then the audiophile monster came lurking. I was not listening to the music anymore. I was listening to the SYSTEM. And, of course, there’s always something that can be better.
KISS OF DEATH!
It’s taking me a while to get back to the music again. Writing this is a good step.
BEWARE of new equipment.