How competitive are you with your system?

My system is always in competition with my budget. That being said, I like my current system fine even knowing that it cost less than what most AG members paid for their speaker cables. 

In the Link there is another's 'Take' or a 'Take' that is agreed between a group that is to be Published for another group to see and read.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-critical-listeners-lexicon-tas-207-1/

Using the Guidance on the Link for experiencing End Sound being Produced and then extending  the same Guidance to be used in a situation like I have already referred to,  " Being a Person who had many a occasion in the Company of Individuals Known, Not so Known and never met, with the Objective of being in the room to experience a audio system and then an audio system with different Sources added or other Devices attached in place of a resident device.

I have heard broad ranges of brief comments, I have heard many good quality descriptions and fair assessment where some are quite different from your own perception of what was being created as a End Sound. "

With the Guidance in the Link, Strongly Advising for the Assessor to be solely Subjective in making a evaluation. The more individuals in the space and having different positions in the Room in relation to how they are symmetrical to the Speakers. There are to be numerous versions of the description applied to the assessment as a Critical Listen.

If a Listeners Symmetry to the Speakers as a result of their listening position is Pertinent to being able to comment on the End Sound being experienced.

Is not most comments raised as an assessment when a Group is the assessing panel, askew with supplied info, even flawed as a Info.

I strongly recommend one decides for themselves only, but limited only to how they sense they have been impressed.

If one has been exposed to an experience of an End Sound that made a good impression, then for this individual the end result is fine, it is worth sharing, as the info is healthy to pass on.

If one as been exposed to an experience of an End Sound that made an extremely good impression, being one they want to further investigate for being maintained, then for this individual the outcome is more than fine, it is an experience more than worthy of sharing, as the info is healthy to pass on. 

Is there really a chance another, who reads good reports, is going make arrangements to have a very similar experience, where the impression made is creating a similar impact on them? 

Very happy with system(s)...though often think about possible upgrades or changes...

Not competitive but always willing to help and even learn.  As a manufacturer and repair service we get to hear so many components.  SO we are always learning.  We enjoy when people come to hear their repaired product and ask to hear theirs versus ours.  We offer upgrades so they can get better sound for their ears.

It is always nice to meet new people.  Most are very genuine.

Happy Listening.

I’ll posit competitveness drives all of us at some point along the road

I disagree. I have never for a second wanted something audio related to have what others had, to have more, better than what X had. Never played a role. It would be insane if that drove me as it has zero to do with good sound quality - which is why we are in this hobby. .

my motivation to work on the system and improve it is to have it deliver the musical experience

for years i was in an improvement mind set, driven by what might be possible, not what others are doing

yes, fully agree. And this is from the member here who invested 100 times (probably more zeros) more time, money and energy into building a "winning" system than me for example