Can the need for novelty and change be mitigated by rotation?


There is a not too serious term audiophilia nervosa; it may be a joke, but it builds on a valid observation: there are people who are never content with their equipment in medium term.It is not the initial period, when one does know much about gear and learns; or the question of disposable income, when one gets the best they can afford, and upgrades untill he (or, probably less often, she) buys the dream system. Audiophilia nervosa is a state later on, a plateau, when a desired piece initially gives much satisfaction, yet it wears off, and the person gets uneasy and looks for smth. else.
To give a personal example, I was on a quest for my ultimate power amp. Had to be Pass Aleph; happened to find Aleph 4. Did not suit the speakers (Lowther Fidelio) too well; got other speakers (MBL 101b or c) ; still not there; got ML no. 23. Much better; but still uneasy about Aleph and speakers for it; got Gradient 1.5; fine with ML, Ok with Pass; exploring options, got Parasound 2200 mk2 (and a couple of PA amps). And I needed a preamp. Seller insisted on only trading ML no. 28 together with no. 27, — another power amp.
Now the ML 28 is there to stay; Gradient 1.5 are keepers too; but I’d keep old MBL101 even if they stopped working (I’d probably use them as garden sculptures), so they stay, too. But I have way too many power amps (the listed, and a few more), I would need to sell some.
The trouble is, I cannot decide. So, in order to decide, I rotate them. ML 23 is very good with MBLs, fine with the Gradients. ML 27 is very good with the Gradients. Parasound 2200 2 is very good with the Graients, - but in a different way. So I swap every few weeks, and I still cannot decide.
And after each break I [re-]discover things I like about the particular amp / amp-speaker combination.
Again and again...
Which made me think:
— What if this ‘rotation’ takes good care of my need for change and novelty?
After a while I will decide which one(s) to sell, and later on I will probably want smth. new. But for the time being, keeping and rotating them slows down my pace - and I see it as a good thing, as in the aftermath I do not think my decisions have been sufficiently well informed (for instance, I am getting used to the fact that I actually do not like sound of Pass Alephs as much as I thought I do, and my Aleph 4 may be the first to go).
inefficient
The OP is right.... I just picked up a preamp , I really liked how my system's personality changed by swapping it out.   I think I'm going to keep it in place for a while..  I finally have enough nice gear for two systems plus , but at the moment don't have space for two separate systems so ill pair this with thar, enjoy that combo and swap things around.   
I think the idea of rotating gear like upgrading reflect a failure to understand and master acoustic between others embeddings working controls...

I dont feel this need at all .... Even if i had the money...

If acoustic is the "sleeping princess" any rotating gear is like the 7 working dwarves, dwarves are replaceable, the sleeping princess is not....
😊

If you're not changing something, or planning to change something, or thinking about changing something, you're not in the hobby, you're just listening to music.

Of course, that "something" can be components, accessories, tweaks, room treatment, positioning, etc.
OP -- love this thread.  I hear you, big time.  I think rotating cartridges is one way to do it; I have a lot of fun with that.  


I do believe there is such a thing as "better," I believe in some degree of objectivity, and I totally reject the notion that the difference between a $5k system and a $300k [well-balanced, well-chosen] system comes down to bling and casework (that's just demonstrably wrong).  But two different high end, well-chosen, well-balanced systems in two different, acoustically-friendly rooms?  Well, one's preference could come down to listening mood, chosen recordings, what you had for lunch, etc.  And that's where I think a ton of fun can be had.  But if I inventoried my purchases, sales, detours, and mistakes, I'd be forever-considered an idiot on these pages.  So, I won't. 


Sleeping princesses come in different guises.  Also, I prefer princesses who are awake, enjoy a nice walk around the palace grounds, with a sense of humor, who are really comfortable with and unapologetic about the fact that -- by virtue of their royalty -- they kinda own me and the other dwarves.