If you had to start all over again in this day and age

@aero222 Interesting post.  As a former shop owner, I am with you.  We sold Mc because doctors liked the looks of it, and yes, it sounded horrible.  We made stands for the ML HQD system, but his stuff sounded worse than the Mc, and that is going some. Same with many other brands, but I was not in business to change people's minds unless they asked for help.  Mc owners wanted Mc, period, so that's what I sold them.

ARC had the best stuff, so if I started again today, I would listen to the new stuff.  If it was not as good as the old stuff as you intimate--I have not heard any of it--I would just buy the old stuff and be happy with the newest Maggies and a combo of a good CD player for background music times and a good TT and moving coil set-up for real listening.

As for other sources, a R-T-R would be nice if I had access to master tape rundowns, and a Nak Dragon--I guess it was the best of these things--for any cassettes that showed up.  I would pick a comfortable chair to sit in when listening as well!

Cheers! 

It’s funny on the media ownership vs streaming decision. Funny because I myself am in conflict when it comes to music v movies on the issue.

With music, I have blissfully moved to digital streaming, acquired a relatively modest (in this company) but supremely capable streamer/dac (Teac NT-505) and I think nothing of the hundreds-ish cds gathering dust.

With movies, I’m not there. Yeah the kids stream Disney+ thru tv using tv speakers and I’ve spent hours trying to get the sound thru the ht AVR and it just isn’t meant to be for some reason. I’ve had it dialed in once or twice and tried explaining the procedure to the kids but of course the next time they do it themselves it’s all mucked up so I’ve given up. They’re satisfied and life’s too short. 

So for HT still buying the 4K Blu-ray disks and playing them thru my Atmos 5.1.2 system and its all good.

Perhaps it comes down to I have less curiosity in deeply exploring new movies versus deeply exploring new music?

Don't cut yourself short Kren. Music is in the ears of the beholder. Audiophilia is a sickness with much based on the "perception" of the listener. For those well healed and can spend $250,000 on a system, more power to them. Would this person be happy with a 5 or 10K system? Nope. But I'm not sure if the real added nuance of the music or the expectation that such a system has to produce $240,000 better nuance is the driving force. That last scintilla of quality higher priced stuff gives you is priceless to some. It does not mean in any form or fashion that cheaper stuff does not give joy. 
From my experience in the 35 years of selling this stuff, many told what they should be hearing from magazines, took precedence over what they actually were hearing.
The poster stating he would be happy with this Walkman is on to something. The snobbery and bs in this business is astounding easily rivaling egos found at horse and dog shows.

I'm admittedly an audio cheapskate, I just can't bring myself to spend tens of thousands on top shelf gear, but if I had all the money I spent on audio stuff over the years, chasing good sound, I would get a good TT & cartridge, and replace digital with LP's. I grew up with LP's, RTR &  cassettes, and wish I had a Mulligan, I would have just improved my analogue gear over the years and kept growing my LP collection. I use a tube integrated now, but wish I had not waited so long.