As an example, I waited ten years to buy my dream turntable. I made do with something that worked while I squirreled away the cash, then finally bought the analog front end I always wanted. I'm a firm believer in not buying "good enough" and upgrade through small steps but biding my time until I get the item of my choice. I'm to a point now where tweaks and such are about all I feel I need to introduce/change in my system. It's fun, inexpensive, and surprising.
What is your upgrade philosophy?
With at least 4 or 5 (perhaps as many as 7) components (plus cables) comprising the system at any given time, certainly one is the best at what it does and one is the worst, and the others in between. When you have the fever and spare cash, do you prefer to take the one weak link and vault it to the top of the pile, or would you for the same money upgrade perhaps 2 components to middling status? Seems the former yields a better system long term, but the latter would provide more immediate improvement. Is there a method to your madness?