"There’s a certain level of realism we each need to convince our brain and ears that there’s music in the room".
Yes-- and this is a lot clearer to me, now that I'm actually experiencing that sense of realism.
"I'm definitely on the opposite spectrum. Being an audiophile brings along a series of expectations others want to put on me and I could not care to be bothered".
Not sure exactly what you mean, here, Erik, by "opposite spectrum".
I believe the healthiest approach is for each person to define for themselves what "audiophile" or "music lover" means or doesn't mean. For a long time, I viewed these as polar opposites. I'm a creative person and stubbornly independent in terms of trusting my own esthetic perceptions. In terms of gear, I've never had large amounts of cash to spend, so I've typically had to go with gear from smaller, lesser-known manufacturers. The Hegel is an exception-- I simply could not find another piece that fit my criteria, so when I found the open box unit with a return policy, I jumped on it.
"In the pursuit of more excellent sound, it’s easy to want to upgrade which can be as much a side ways move without good research".
Yes. In this regard, I have two limiting factors working in my favor: 1) I find upgrades exhausting and 2) I can't afford to upgrade often ;o)