First, go for gear that LOOKS GREAT. No kidding, the subjective loss will be easier to take, the musical loss also. Second don't start comparing or expecting the same sound as the previous megabuck system. In a way , let's be less analytical about the whole thing. Let's just settle for an overall pleasant sound. Lastly, get the best speakers you can afford within your system. You will probably not extract the last ounce of quality from an integrated amplifier, as there are great ones out there, however, we get to the "limits" of a speaker much faster and it has a larger role in the overall sound quality in a more modest system. I went down from Verity Audio Parsifal speakers, Sonic Frontiers Power 2, the list go on, and it's not that bad after all !!!!
How do you "downgrade"?
This is a hobby that always strives for more and more. To anyone who's "downgraded" for non-financial reasons, how did you come to that decision, and how did you manage to live with having less?