Is it important to long demo or own HIGH END gear to have a fair accurate view about it?

It depends on the experience of the individual and what that individual prefers. I prefer line source, dipole ESLs. I only listen to point source speakers when evaluating them for other people. Speakers should always be auditioned as the variability is very high. The speaker then determines the type of amp required. After that auditioning is not near as important. Most differences that some audiophiles gush over are really quite minor or maybe even psychological. Always beware of two traps, the cool looking trap and the costs more trap. Looks and cost do not determine sound quality. Some equipment such as tonearms and turntables can be evaluated on a design and build quality basis and do not need to be listened to. Turntables and Tonearms should have no sound, none. If there is a difference in sound quality something is wrong. The better turntables are silent and interface the record properly. After 15 to 20 grand all you are buying is looks and exclusivity, bragging rights. Once you have a turntable that makes no sound of it's own and is accurate you can not do better and IMHO the extra money for bragging rights should be spent on music and great bottles of wine. 

@noromance @bigkidz

+2

I cannot think of a time in the past 20 years when I have been wrong on my first impression of a component/speaker after trying it in my system. Sometimes in the "first 5 minutes" and certainly within the first couple of days.

There have been a couple of times I deluded myself into thinking I liked something based on its reputation or what it cost but in every case I always circled back to my first impression being the correct one for me. Embarrassingly, in some cases this took months or years but I have become more confident in trusting my gut (i.e., first impression). @mijostyn provided some good advice to "beware of two traps, the cool looking trap and the costs more trap."

Impossible to hear all high end gear; have to depend on other's opinions and manufacturer's fluff. OP reveals a problem with those whose $10 beats the sucker's $100. A tiresome activity. Must someone always win? Mike's adroit inclusion of passion assumes commitment and investment. Many are limited and few have a barn. But I still sing along in my car and it's horrible audio.

I am making strides with my main system, but accept its limitations as honestly as I can.

@mijostyn 

 Most differences that some audiophiles gush over are really quite minor or maybe even psychological.

Do you mean for high end gear? Or any? I hear (or imagine to hear :) ) profound differences with amplifiers.

Like all of us, I have pondered where does high end start?  Is my H390 high end or does it start with Krell, Boulder or Dan D’Agostino?

My Brother, still happily listens to his tunes from the quarter inch speakers in his IPhone and thinks I’m nuts for having spent all that money on my rig. So I guess to him, my gear is high end.  To me it’s just the best that I could afford.