Ugrade-itis - is there a cure?

I really like my current system.  If I  get the perfect solid state amp that sounds like single ended triode and then the new turntable would be great, and the new arm and cartridge and then the phono stage. I really like my current system. 

As soon as I no longer regret saying, “lt cannot sound better than this.”

I’ve been an audiophile for over 30 years. And I’ve been on the audio upgrade treadmill for most of those years. But, now I’m retired both as an audiophile and literally. 
Is there a cure? Maybe, for some of us but surely not for all.
You might find, at some point, that circumstances could present themselves, as it has with me, in such a manner that interests, priorities and commitments shift.
The good news.
Nightly, I’m spinning LPs, listening to music and not the system. And my experience is that I’m profoundly enjoying and appreciating the creative variety of artists performances. I’m digging deep into my collection. Didn’t we get into this hobby because of the music anyway?
I have a very good system (Neo Vintage), but it certainly isn’t the best. Within our audio club, there are rigs, that in various ways, are truly better than mine. And that’s OK.
Contentment in life is hard to find. But, if found, even fleetingly, the music, once again returns to the forefront. It is possible, and for some, it may arrive later in life... oh well,...back to Aretha...

Thanks guys for some very interesting and diverse views.

I'm glad to see so many of you seem very happy with your rigs as they are, with perhaps only some minor tweaks being considered..

I think one of my favourite responses was from @blindjim:

if the rig is indeed the best sounding thing you've amassed to date and then one begins exchanging things which are predominately sideways steps, it ain't the system or its gear that needs a closer look at, its more likely the 'nut' behind the wheel.

Something I think many of us have been guilty of at some point.

I had personally finished upgrading about 5 weeks ago, then two fellow audiophiles suggested I try something new, so begrudgingly, I gave their suggestions a whirl, thinking it would be a marginal - one of those "sideways improvements" one of you talked about, BUT, once again it  proved to be beneficial

I'm definitely NOT in the "shop-o-holic" camp, because I do not upgarade my components that often - e.g. I have only ever owned one turntable (OK, I tweaked the crap out of that),  two sets of speakers and 4 amps over a 38 year period and I am only on my third phono stage since getting back into vinyl around 9 years ago, so I figure I'm doing pretty well, especially after reading the lists of components some of you have acquired over the years.

But this is the first time my system has approached it's current level of excellence, so I was curious if "upgrade-itis" is a persistent conditon or if it wanes as one gets older?

That would give me something I could tell my wife - there actually has an end in site :-)

I too have been more guilty of those "frivolous purchases" WRT another hobby i.e. 35mm photography. But I think todays SLR cameras/lenses are now so good, that you do not have to break the bank to get excellent images and the latest developments are more often improvements in the "experience" rather than image quality. So I have now reached my personal "photography nirvana"

Whereas the Audio world seems to keep coming up with "better sound" 

I think I may be aproaching this post from @granodemostasa ...  

I like to upgrade until i'm looking over a cliff that is impractical to cross

My "cliff" these days is Cost Benefit

BUT ! - if the lottery ticket come up - who knows :-) 

Regards - Steve

 

Is there a cure?  No.  I fin that even when I have my system sounding really good, I always get sucked in by the hype of this component or that and then it gnaws at me for months about whether X will really be smoother, better imaging, better soundstage, etc.  Generally, they have been an improvement, or at worst, a lateral move to a slightly different sound.  A big improvement, like a "blow you away" one -- no.  But you never know until you do it.  Thus, no cure, other than the lack of money!