The argument against upgrading

Life’s too short. Dont do it!

Because it matter which kind of things turn you "on".

Think before acting,

even before a tempting upgrade or a tempting woman...

 - = X

 + =

  x  =/ X

Upgrading is like a wedding, you think before tying the knot...

I call optimization of what you have  the thinking process before acting but and only if necessary when the times is ripe.....

@newton_john - your question has some relation to the issue to diminishing returns; something i think all of us struggle with at some point. The thing is, a diminishing return only makes sense over single component, cable or room acoustic changes one may make to a system, and where hearing ability to distinguish between mere fractions of betterment over sound realism would make anyone wonder if it’s worth its while. But it cannot apply to the entirety of a system, where each fraction and rare full percent or two of positive improvement, added up over the multiple changes that building an entire system entails, can result in a delta of a whole 12 percent gain of realism. It is all about leaving no stone unturned, from an inexpensive DIY tweak to the huge expense required of a truly high performing component upgrade - and the experience of having heard what a full twelve to fifteen percent change to sound realism, is what takes my spirit from mere appreciation to profound understanding - it’s about getting as close to the unbelievable kick and grasp of the time domain that live music delivers; that crazy sense of truly being in the moment. I know for myself, that each three percent incremental gain has helped me understand composition better - that inexplicable understanding and joy that comes from hearing deep into the music. 
I only began to understand stevie wonder’s superstition, like it was the first time I’d ever heard it, after a break of a year with my system gaining an extra ten percent of soundfield realism. Same with Mahler’s Fifth, and Bruckner in general. I never truly understood the idea of God in Bach’s toccata and fugue d minor prior to that moment.

The thing is, the growing realism of soundfield that comes with increasing signal integrity and minimally degraded signal transmission, the deeper the beauty of the knowledge it brings. It is the very reason why we are each on this amazing journey. Look deep, it is in everyone of us, driving each of us in different and varying degrees to find inner peace with what is enough.

Perhaps you feel the way you do now because you have found your enough. Perhaps you still sense you have not turned enough stones to understand the concept of diminishing returns can never apply to the realism gain of an entire system. Perhaps your sensibility of contentment lies on a different and higher level with other things in life to not need to put more effort into turning more stones. It’s different for each and every one of us. The thing is not to use the personal limitations of where we are each at to draw an absolute ceiling for all. I’ve found my ceilings getting broken again and over again each time I believed I’d found the limit to how realistic music reproduction can get - it’s breathtaking and mind blowing, this surreal hobby of ours.

In friendship - kevin

Thank you, @kevn ​​​​​​

You make some excellent points. I am talking about two quite separate things.

Firstly, there’s improvements in sound quality from making some change to the system. Here I don’t think there is such a thing as diminishing returns. There is always scope to get closer to the sound of real live music. Some changes are transformational, but others are merely incremental.

Secondly, there is what I enjoy most about music. That is the place where the music takes me. A kind of altered state that allows me to get into it completely. I don’t doubt that good sound quality helps me get there, but so did marijuana when I was a student back in the day. However once I’ve arrived, do I really care that much about ultimate sound quality? Would it really matter if I hadn’t upgraded that last component?

In that sense, I may have found my enough as you suggest. In the past, much of my upgrading has been directed at solving specific issues. For example, overcoming the harshness of digital, taming of room bass resonances or balancing out an uneven soundstage. Perhaps, I have no dragons left to slay. 

I am not saying that I can’t enjoy hearing the Yes Album as I’ve never heard it before. Yet it doesn’t excite me as it did on a car cassette player back in the seventies. What really excites me now is new music that I’ve never heard before. Perhaps all I need is a level of sound quality that gives access to it. In that respect, absolute sound quality may not be critical. On the other hand, maybe in time I’ll get used to the level I’m at now and again crave something better.

Sorry, I’m making this all about me. Others may well see things differently. It is a subjective experience.

@newton_john -  about you is precisely what I’d expect on a thread that you created : )