Five "Golden Rules" of HiFi?

Biomimetic the trouble with headphones (for me and I assume others as well) is that you can't get a soundstage. The performers aren't performing in front of you, they are in your head!  While this may sound like a good thing, I can't get used to it as I don't find it natural. 

OP-

all of your points taken except buying 2nd hand speakers. Nothing wrong w/ this practice so long as you trust the seller.

Yeah…go to the Munich High End show and note the cost of schlepping yourself there is more than you might spend on most components…no problemo! Coming from the school of Experienced Professional Live Sound Tech and Professional Musician plus certified old person Logic Driven Audio Freak (or simply, "EPLSTPMLDAF"), one suggestion is to clean yer ears with the ear wax cleaning kit from the local drug store…been using that stuff for years. Also, ignore the "audio mysticism" as it's utter nonsense…directional fuses, expensive feet for your gear (vibration from sound goes everywhere all the time…get over it…) except maybe to decouple your speakers from a wood floor (spikes don't do that, rubbery things do), and simply be logical about things…remember you have your own taste unless you're some sort of cowardly wimp, which is also OK as the unstable keep the commercial world revolving…listen to live concerts that only I mix as MY taste is impeccable (Julian Lage…miked his tiny old tweed amps and the bass as Wolleson wanted no mics)…there ya go!

I've pretty much broken every rule purported here so I'll simply admit that I keep looking because I'm bored - and curious.  While I'm not quite ready to scribe a "bucket list" for fear of tempting the fates,  there are many pieces of equipment that I want to hear for the sake of comparison,  or just for the hell of it.  Either or,  the end result is the same. 

I'll never be able to afford loudspeakers $20,000 and up so I avoid including those in my quest,  especially since there are many excellent brands well below that available used.  Every speaker that I've bought here came from an owner that cared about them - I've yet to have a problem with buying used speakers.  (Magnepan,  Thiel,  Von Schweikert,  Dynaudio...)  

I've been in the wine business for 33 years now which is as befuddling and subjective as this hobby is.  Most of the cult wines and rarities aren't even consumed by their buyers,  they simply collect them!

Read, listen and learn.