Being grateful for what we have

This is a good question for me personally to reflect on. I have just spent a huge (for me) sum of money on new stereo stuff. I just retired and got some money. i decided to blow it all on stereo stuff. I have. The stuff is pretty good. i WAS in 'evaluation mode' for awhile, and actually returned the new DAC (it just was not better than my old one)
So I was listening and nit-picking sort of stuff and NOT listening to the music much for a month or so. Finally I have settled down and forget the picky stuff and LISTEN to the music.
I know it is harder for some folks to turn off the judgement and just enjoy.. that is no fun... actually like they are stuck in hell.
As for wondering if I could have done something better with the money..nope. I'm 60 years old and have enjoyed reproduced music for 45 years on some stereo or other. And it was a good choice for me.
(I am no bleeding heart for any humanitarian cause.. I have done MY part for the environment and the earth's future by not procreating... one of me was way more than enough for this planet.. just think thousands of new little Elizabeths roaming this Earth.. a nightmare!.)

I have found that two different drives are at the heart of audiophile behavior. One of these drives is constructive, the other destructive:

-The constructive drive consists of the love of music, of beauty, and of the imagination. This is audiophilia.

-The destructive drive consists of problem oriented thinking, obsessive compulsive behavior, and perfectionism. This is audionervosa.

I believe that audionervosa is a form of addiction. I, for one, feel like an addict a good fraction of the time. I don't mean this as a metaphor. I mean it literally. Here are some signs of addiction, according to the Mayo clinic:

1. Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — this can be daily or even several times a day.

2. Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug.

3. Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug.

4. Spending money on the drug even though you can't afford it.

5. Doing things to obtain the drug that you normally wouldn't do.

6. Feeling that you need the drug to deal with your problems.

7. Focusing more and more time and energy on getting and using the drug.

It seems to me that this describes many days of audiophiles' lives, spent learning about and looking for audio equipment. They are our "Lost Weekends." The drug isn't alcohol, but the addictive process is the same.

So, I consider myself "in recovery." I try to limit the amount of time I spend on Audiogon, reading about near gear, going to audio shows, etc.. I expect there to be periods of relapse, and that this is a lifelong disease that I will have to manage, like diabetes.

The OP put the issue in terms of a person's "priorities." I think that's true enough, but it doesn't focus attention on the fact that audionervosa is a PROCESS, namely, the process of addiction.

So is it possible to be an audiophile without becoming an addict? I think for some people, it probably is. Not for me. I have to be vigilant for signs of addictive behavior, so that I do not neglect my job, my wife, my dog, or myself.

And when I do manage to resist the temptations of audio addiction, I discover that I am much more likely to really experience my love of music, of beauty, and of the imagination. And that's what it's all about.

Yes, when it is gone you will miss it. I think the biggest upgrade is the room it self. When all is said and done, it is the key factor in your listening experience. Twenty years ago I built my 'room', from the ground up. I was never so pleased. Don't have the room any more, it went with the divorce. Have most of the equipment which I change from time to time. I never captured the sound of the 'room' again, but I still very much enjoy what I do have, including the almost 30,000 pieces of media that I have collected over the last fifty years. All the media will go to the local library when I pass so others can enjoy the music.

I used to search for the next best thing and was very pleased with the results. Now the changes yield smaller improvements, and the cost increases. I'm done improving the electronics. I'm concentrating on the music now.

this very subject came up the other day with an audiophile buddy of mine who just upgraded his preamp phono stage, then moved to a new MC cartridge, fussing & obsessing all weekend with the whole synergy thing & seemed quite aggravated with the whole process. I forsee an audiophile themed intervention on A&E in the works...you know, guy walks into his local dealer & his whole family is there etc, etc....