What improvements did you hear in going from entry level to high end Audio?

Amongst others, dynamics are important to me, and the upgrades I have bought over the years are getting me closer to life performances. As we all know, it is never difficult to tell the difference between life and reproduced sound, so my objective is to get as close as possible to the life sound of (acoustical) instruments. 

Different room may have made the biggest difference. A few month ago I have moved house, having lived in the previous house for nearly 10 years, had tweaked that room during those 10 years, now into another house, have to start from scrap, same equipment, same everything, but sounds like crap at this moment. Not an easy task lies ahead to get the sound I was used too...lot's of thinking, reading, trials to come. But that's also an interesting challenge, if it were that easy than not the same satisfaction.