I have a confession to make

Scottht, Remember there are two parts to this hobbie, the equipment and the music! Don't get caught up in the FLAVOR of the month as it's for shure a dead end. Last month I thought I needed a new pair of speakers so I went and heard many different one's and when it was all said and done my speakers I had up for sale are no longer for sale. what I finally realized is that I'm happy with my system and I don't want to change that.
Now lets get to the second part of this hobbie the music, It's the most important part, really it is...
I'm on a vinyl buying spree right now and I'm blown away at the used prices starting at about $1.00
The best part is I have a dozen stores in my area that sell music of all formats and used, I generally hit the stores once a week and always come home with 5-10 pieces of music and never spend more than $25 except once I parked in a parking lot that had a sign saying that this parking is for the resturant and you are only allowed 40 minutes of parking and violators will be towed, I thought I'm not going to get towed, so when I came out from the record store my car was gone!! I think any other time I would have blown a rod but I didn't, even though it cost me $120 to get my car from impound. Maybe because I just scored some great vinyl for cheap. I look back at this and laugh!!!
I never got this much enjoyment from the equipment as I do from the music. Works for me and I Hope you find a cure soon!

It's a combination of obssesive-complusive disorder and the placebo effect.
These days, job security and funding a retirement plan take higher precendence; for me, at least.
Software is always more important than the hardware.
Your hearing goes to hell as you age, anyway. Best to enjoy what you have now, 'cuz you won't hear differences in cables when your in your 70's.
Too many audio revues are hazardous to your health...

I understand that there is a little humor mixed in with a little real concern, but I wonder about people here (especially myself) if there isn't a deeper problem. No system, no matter how good is ever going to sound like live music. I have heard lots of good systems including my own, and the moments when I was caught off guard by how good a person or instrument sounded are few and far between. They are the exception, not the rule. Even though they are the driving force behind many of our equipment purchases.

The illusion is in your head.

If that is the case, can't we just decide to be content with what we already have? This gets to be like little kids buying Star Wars trading cards or whatever. One of the real differences between children and adults is self control.

Pbb might have had the first good idea of his life when he suggested that a person buy music when the bug bites. It's a lot cheaper to buy a few LPs or, perish the thought, CDs rather than buy a new pre-amp or speakers. The newness factor is still there, but the savings account is still intact too! Your wife might like that.

Shasta, My wife says I have that Obssesive-compulsive thing you talk about, you know I think I do! I think as to any hobby we all have this to a certain degree that's why I buying lotso music and not equipment as it's a hole lot cheaper than equpment and more enjoyable to boot except when the car gets towed!!!!
Enjoy the tunes!

Color me a fatalist...there is NO cure! Sorry! I am there, I hear your pain!

Everytime I see a thread beginning with: "Getting into vinyl slowly, want to spend less than 1K..." I say to myself, "this guy 's toast!"

To avoid the virus you must either: never use a computer again or start another hobbie that's cheaper (let's say, finding 4-leaf-clovers in the Sahara). Preferably, both!

A few suggestions:
1. When your wife is home, you have to intercept packages before the delivery truck reaches your front door (I have a 7-11 store nearby where these nefarious exchanges take place.)
2. Be the one that oversees home-finances and cancelled checks, CC receipts, etc (take it from me, kids "do not" need to eat every day. Three meals-a-day is only a guideline, just like "all digital connections must be 1.5 meters for optimum transfer of information between transport and DAC").
3. Study in your off-time how to build an accoustically-sound area in the 2x3 ft space you'll be residing in at your local YMCA once you do get thrown out of the house.

My sympathies and best wishes.