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.
Being grateful for what we have
With audio as a hobby, do you find yourself researching, listening, buying, selling, buying more, and always looking for that next tweak, purchase or upgrade? I know I do.
I wonder why I'm not sitting back and appreciating the system I currently own. Is it easier said than done? Is upgrade-itous and hearing weaknesses rather than enjoying the strengths, just part of being an audiophile? I'm not sure.
Have I become an audiogeek when I should be serving my community, spending more time with my family, and joining with others to solve real world problems like war, greed, and injustice? It makes me think that enjoying our stereo systems depends on our priorities in life as much as it does our ears--maybe more.
Any thoughts?