I am also lucky to live in an area where I have been able to clean up on LP's others have found outdated. But after realising that I have more than I can reasonably listen to and still have time for my old favorites, I have focused on making sure my equipment is up to the task: a new cartridge, new caps, extra tubes, better cables. It's good to remember that it is not only a question of trying out better components, but being able to maintain those that you like. I do like listening to new music as well as hearing what I already know sound better. I still buy new music when a favorite group releases something on vinyl but I don't worry about keeping up with the latest CD's because I figure that once it is digital, it will be around for a while.
New Music vs. New Equipment
I assume that many people are like me in that we are always looking to optimize our audio systems. Unfortunately, to do so can require spending thousands of dollars. Furthermore, when all is said and done, the system sounds better, but it's never going to sound like real musicians playing real music. At what point is it better to leave the equipment alone and instead purchase more music? As an example, will I be better off spending $2,500 on new bi-wire cables, or should I buy 125 (@ $20 each) new albums? The new cables have the potential to make the 2,500 albums I already own sound marginally better, yet 125 new albums should yeild some great music. Which way should I go?