@ezstreams I have an alternative option for you, it is fully in keeping with what you have made known in the OP.
You are approaching a period of your life where you have additional time to spend experiencing your HiFi Set Up.
You also have a Budget to swap out some of the ancillaries used in your System and create a sound that is seemingly more to your satisfaction.
With the above two points in mind, there are Pro's and Con's, I will make my thoughts known on these.
Pro's
1, Time available is now your friend, put a request out to meet up with local to yourself audio enthusiasts, the lessons that can be learned from experiencing other systems and friendships that can form are extremely valuable.
2, In my own HiFi Group (made up mainly of a group of 10 retired and semi-retired members, where a monthly meet is usually the minimum) there are members systems that have evolved as a result of attending these meet ups. Where their choices have been structured around the good impressions made from listening to other members systems and having discovered alternative ancillaries worthy of consideration. Your ideal ancillary could prove to be a item available as a used purchase and save outlaying extra $0000's.
3, Creating a Shortlist and visiting commercial suppliers with a demonstration facility to enable a ancillary of interest to be experienced is another option to be used with the additional time available.
Con's
1, Buying with only a visual of a product as the introduction is a fast route to a purchase that does not content the end user.
2, Buying from recommendation only is no different from buying with a visual of a product.
3, Not Selecting Products for a further investigation, using the above methods and others for the purpose of producing a Shortlist is the way that is the least sure footed, and can easily be a wasteful use of ones hard earned.
4, Any purchases being made do inquire about the aftersales support, Warranty Periods, etc. In the US there are regions that have very little requirement to support such aftersales services.