This is a great thread because we definitely place different priorities on gear and enjoying music. I definitely have upgradeitis. But I enjoy it to the full.
It started with moving to my 3rd home. It was my first old home which had ’formal’ rooms. Old homes seem to have better proportions for listening to music. All of a sudden the same system sounded 18x better than before without an upgrade.
So I thought, ’let’s see if I can make it better!’. I added a Technics 1200G turntable...yes, sounds better. Then I switched the room layout 180 degrees...holy smokes!!! Easily the 2nd best improvement...the first being the move to the house. Then the switch to tube gear...a little bit better.
Then the wife made us move!
But I countered with another, even older, home with very formal rooms. It’s not as good as the other room...but about 75% there. But now I know all about rooms vs upgrades ratio and it is helping me unlock the potential of this room. I’ve stopped upgrading electronics for the moment but not the room.
I’ve always enjoyed the journey more than the destination. I’m not goal-obsessed. I’ve always been more process-obsessed. So upgradeitis is here to stay for me. Bring it on. And yes, to each their own.