Missing the forest for the trees

Adjusting one’s priorities seems to come automatically with advancing age---each remaining moment becomes very precious, not to be squandered. So much music, so little time.

Michael Green and others have stated points that are all so true. Listening to music and enjoying the experience that is true to oneself is the optimal end. There is no shame in making a sound system the best it can be. Upgrading equipment, tweaking, and other things can make the experience all the more rewarding. Continuous improvement is not a bad thing.
Example.....a friend had an Acura car. He was constantly adding performance parts and tweaks to the car to get the ultimate performance. In truth, he would have had the same performance in the end if he had just bought one model up in the Acura line. But, initially, he didn't have the funds to do that. That holds true for audio enthusiasts.
If I had the funds to explore audio equipment to the very end I probably would. Buying a Basis turntable for 1/4 Million dollars would probably be a little over the top.
Many years ago I thought the 8 track player in my car with 4 speakers (subs were not even thought of then) was the best system I'd ever heard. One night at a friendly poker game at some guy's place he fired up his stereo. The amp was a Dynaco he had built from a kit and the small bookshelf speakers weren't anything special (I believe the were Advents). The sound that came out of his meager setup blew me away. Mostly because he was playing music everyone loved during that time.
So, in the end it's all about the music we listen to. Sure, we all want it to sound as good as possible. But, in the end, it's all about the music.
 

Thanks to all for posting and sharing. 

@rar1  Rich, I hope your music continues to offer a 'beautiful' escape and that things sort themselves out. 

@bensturgeon It's been a week since you posted. Updates?  I hope you are doing better and the issues are getting resolved.

@amg56 Beautiful and powerful point about music as therapy and how it has helped you through what you have faced and continue to.

Choose your Forest...courtesy of Steve Guttenberg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku7tge9qppo