Why is there so much separation between the professional audio and audiophile worlds?

Well, if we are the 10th person in the line and so much of the music has been lost, then why we even bother with any hifi equipment! A phone with an ear bud should be enough or at most a system costs $1500 or less (a latest iphone + AirPod).

"By the time the music is reproduced by the home gear (the tenth person) it has lost that much more fidelity. The better the home gear, the better it highlights just how much has been lost."

I’ve gone to live concert many times thank you.

My point is if someone believes the above statements as you stated then why spend more money on better gears, it will just make you more unhappy with them. Get something that you are happy with and stop the upgrade bug! Just saying.