the process is more challenging than the result

I agree with the last paragraph that many are chasing sonic utopia rather than listening to music. However, I do not agree with the comment in the first paragraph that the process is more challenging and enjoyable than the result. This is a generalization that assumes all people are motivated by the same thing.

I am reminded of the existentialist philosopher Kierkegaard, who categorized people into two groups. One group consists of people who are never satisifed in life. They are always on a journey. They have no use for material objects as an indicator of success because it implies that they have found what they are looking for, which they never do. Life is a lifelong journey, a never ending search.

The second group is people who view the accumulation of assets as a measure of success. These people can be fulfilled in life as they have a benchmark for success and happiness. Or something like that anyways. It's been a long time since I read anything like this. In view of your hypothesis, you might find Kierkegaard interesting reading in refining your ideas.

As for myself, I haven't figured it all out.

When it comes to my stereo, I'm a music person. I have no interest in the constant equipment swapping and component matching. That's one reason why I'm more of a single brand person. I'll let somebody else figure out what goes well together. I'll then go with it. If it sounds good, it is. And I'm happy.

On the other hand, there are other things in life where the journey is more important than the destination. For example, I like to putter around the house and do home renovation projects. I enjoy the construction. It's almost disappointing to complete something because the fun is now over. Other people ask me why I don't hire somebody. Why?, I say. This is my fun. I would no more hire somebody to finish my basement or build a deck than I would hire somebody to go to a ball game or go to a concert on my behalf so that I don't have to go.

Vacationing is another example. Some people take pleasue in the amenities of the destination. Others want an expedition where the journey is more enjoyable than the arrival.

So yes, the process is more challenging, but only for people who are motivated by this. For others, the process is not important.

Enjoyment of music being independent of the medium is absolutely correct. There's no reason why they have to be correlated. You don't have to be a mechanic to enjoy a car ride. You don't have to be a chef to enjoy dinner.

When you read the interviews in Stereophile of well known people in the music industry, either performers or production people, it is notable how many of them do not have audiophile systems as we might describe it. This happens frequently enough that I remember one interviewer specifically commenting on it to the interviewee. I don't remember who it was, but I believe it was some venerable old blues musician whose system wasn't much more than a boom box that played cassettes.

I don't think a person who changes things regularly will ever reach their goal and be satisfied. It's not like a test where you can get 100% and can't go higher. There is no ultimate score in audio upgrading. It's Shadorne's point about a moving target. There are always new developments and improvements to be investigated for those with the inclination to do so. I don't think that the psychology of those who constantly change things is such that they would stop if they learn or hear about new things. It hasn't stopped them before, why would they stop now?