How does one get off the merry-go-round?

When you get to the last word in this sentencing, close your browser and never ever come back to Audiogon, just don't do it.

In addition to not visiting AGON ever again, it also helps if you have the discipline to not allow a creeping scintilla of doubt regarding your system or just one piece of it, from being able to deliver sonic bliss that quite literally makes your jaw drop because it is truer than true. If you can avoid that creeping doubt that makes you feel that changing gear is going to be truly transformative and not just different - you might just be able to get off the merry-go-round; otherwise, just enjoy the hobby and accept that the merry-go-round is at the heart of the audiophile experience. Just want to listen to music? Well,that's another story.

Of course you should get better equipment, but at some point it isn't really better (certainly not "much" better), just different and it is important to know the difference IMHO. And you certainly don't have to get off the merry-go-round, you just have to know when you are on one, and have fun with it if you enjoy it, many of us do.

My comments are for those who want to get off (OP was pleading:)), and suggesting a method for doing so - stop reading every review compulsively, and stop being parnoid (audionervosa) about your system - just focus on the music,and stop thinking so much about the equipment (IF, you want to get of the m-g-r); I actually don't.

Very true. Another way to get off the merry-go-round is to avoid live acoustic venues, jazz in my case; otherwise you might think it is possible to recreate that live sound in your living room playing recordings of a live event if you only had the right speakers and dialectric on your cables - it does not happen. Audio can be a very pleasant and satisfying illusion, but live it is not (besides the electronic chain of the recording process,it would be very odd for a 6" midrange and 8" woofer to sound like a grand piano or a drummers kit.) When I lowered my expecations, I learned to live much more happily with my equipment.

Hobby indeed, which is why we care about it so much more than is merited (disproportionate) by the facts. The wine and beer fanatics don't have anything on us - actually I suspect a lot of overlap in membership:)

So you disagree with blackwillard? Owning a $50,000 system, I do think that a well sorted $5,000 system can surprise you with how good it can sound. As good as what I have? I don't think so, but not so much better as the price difference would suggest. Yes, there is more to pursue, and the quest can be never ending, and nothing wrong with that if you have the money and enjoy the quest. But you can easily choose not to get caught up in that and have a very satisfying stereo giving you many years of enjoyment; while using all that time and energy, and perhaps money on another pursuit that can also life enjoyable.

PhD in Psychology?

To be fair to Tbg, I don't think spending money on audio is simply a search for bragging rights, though it might be for some; it is not a bad thing in itself and to some degree there is generally some incremental improvement that comes with spending more on gear,though it is not guarantee, you must match well, and the improvements are far from linear, but that is the luxury market. On the other hand, you can have a great system without having to spend a fortune, a relative term, I know, and to me getting off the merry-go-round can simply mean to enjoy one's system that is well matched and thought out and decide that you don't want or need to be so compulsive about it that you can only feel satisfied by spending more and more money chasing the dream; which is not meant as an indictment for choosing to spend money on your equipment, but keeping a realistic sense of what that money spent actually get's you and not exaggerate what it all means.