Many seem to be talking about their last system .

No, she might think that you are a good influence but refuses to say it. Women are different..

She definitely does not see the value in the pursuit of better sound quality or the need to spend the funds in order to do so.  I, in return, don't understand the need for yet another handbag from some design house in Europe.  We both agree to quietly sustain the other's purchases as long as the primary financial needs are met.  Certainly a Mars vs Venus situation.

I am not exactly thinking about upgrades any more, the system is well-balanced and I consider it complete. I am thinking about a totally new system. Sure, for a few years it is going to be a transition because I can't afford or/and can't find what I might want, but it will be a new system building process that will take some time.

I agree, based on a combination f age and experience.  I began listening to classical Victor Red Seal 78s on a wind-up Victrola. Before WWII, I was a ham radio operator, building my own transmitter and power supply.After the war, I was no longer able to have a ham radio station, so I began building mono channel audio equipment - - amplifiers, preamps, power supplies and speakers, using the Audio Engineering (later Audio) publications for reference. A cannibalized Capehart provided the turntable and pickup. Then came the 45s, followed by the LPs and stereo.  I continued to build my own stereo amps - - some from scratch and some from kits. I had access to a fully-equipped woodworking shop, so I continued to make my own speaker cabinets, and used JBL, Altec-Lansing and Tannoy drivers. Then came the Klipsch speakers, and I quit making my own. Then, as I was moving every couple of years, I quit making my own electronic gear and began to sample what was out there in the way of pre amps, amplifiers, turntables, arms and cartridges. I was a tube guy until the KT-88s and other final stage tubes had to come from Russia and elsewhere, meaning that keeping a supply of decently- matched tubes was prohibitive for my finances.  I switched to solid state.  Along with continually upgrading, I began ripping my classical LP collection to tape with 10 /12 reel-to-reel decks. That lasted until the supply of recording and playback heads became problematical. So, I switched to CDs, replacing a large chunk of my classical LPs with CDs. (I still have one of the original SOTA turntables with an SME arm plus  Shure V-15 carts.)  I came across Thiel speakers by accident, and when I acquired my CS 3.5s, Jim Thiel suggested Bryston 4B amps.  Finally, after about 70 years of upgrading, I was hooked. Now, my final rig is: Bryston pre amp and 4BSST2 amp feeds a pair of Thiel 2.7s with a SmartSub 2.2. I spin CDs via a Bryston BCD-3 - - - and, when the neighbors complain late in the evening, I switch to a pair of STAX Lambda Pro electrostatic headphones.    At Age 95 plus a few months, I believe my journey in Audio is complete.  I slip in a Bach, Brahms, Donizetti, Mozart, Mahler, Dvorak, Puccini or Verdi little silver disk, sit back, smile, and listen to some of the world's greatest music.