Can one ever be "done" in this hobby?

For me, the hobby has three aspects; the music, the gear and the technology.  As a result, at any given point in time, any of the three may beckon.  I usually ask myself, how much am I willing to lose when its time to move on and try something different.  This allows me to make "no regret" type decisions and enjoy where I am in the moment...knowing that its OK to move on when it feels right to do so.

You'd think with all the improvements we hear about from one year to the next that the best audio system for a given price today would wipe the floor with the best audio system at the same inflation-adjusted price point from ten years ago.
I'm not so sure that's true. In fact, I think we'd find the difference subtle.  Which is a reason to pause.
I only came back to this because my old system broke down.  I did not find speakers at the equivalent price point that blew away my old Thiels. In fact I found quite a few that didn't hold a candle to them.  As for amps - well the differences are subtle there even among current models.  DACs have improved, I think.

Concentrate on the fine points of the MUSIC, not the SOUND and you’ll be happy.

Sorry, tried that. Didn’t work. 😢 For me SOUND=MUSIC

Real hard for me, too.