OK-- I think I get it, now...

@stuartk 

The next logical question in the journey is how do I know when a new piece of equipment has moved the needle on my sound?

For me it is an easy answer. It was when I heard music that I have listened to my who life that I thought I knew and it now is sounding completely new to me. You start re discovering old music because you are now hearing things you never did before. Perfect example for me is Dire Straits. I always thought they were just s so so catchy band could take or leave. Well re discovering them on my new gear is like finding a new secret band I never new of. This continues as I am enjoying music and artists I never would have in the past. It is not my taste changing either as I still enjoy all the music I like before just find my enjoyment is expanding greatly.

Enjoy the music first and keep looking out the window along the journey, you never know what you will see round the next corner!

@knotscott:

"There’s a certain level of realism we each need to convince our brain and ears that there’s music in the room".

Yes-- and this is a lot clearer to me, now that I'm actually experiencing that sense of realism. 

@erik_squires:

"I'm definitely on the opposite spectrum.  Being an audiophile brings along a series of expectations others want to put on me and I could not care to be bothered". 

Not sure exactly what you mean, here, Erik, by "opposite spectrum". 

I believe the healthiest approach is for each person to define for themselves what "audiophile" or "music lover" means or doesn't mean. For a long time, I viewed these as polar opposites. I'm a creative person and stubbornly independent in terms of trusting my own esthetic perceptions. In terms of gear, I've never had large amounts of cash to spend, so I've typically had to go with gear from smaller, lesser-known manufacturers. The Hegel is an exception-- I simply could not find another piece that fit my criteria, so when I found the open box unit with a return policy, I jumped on it.  

@artemus_5:

"In the pursuit of more excellent sound, it’s easy to want to upgrade which can be as much a side ways move without good research".

Yes. In this regard, I have two limiting factors working in my favor: 1) I find upgrades exhausting and 2) I can't afford to upgrade often ;o)

Congrats! Makes me want to audition a Hegel. 

I like it. So music and gear is more of a both/and rather than an either/or. Our language and concepts can often get in the way. 

[@boxer12] Decooney, You can be both a music lover & a audiophile. They are meant to go together.

Woah. Not sure what I was thinking. Hmm,  I'll get to work on that. Thanks for the tip. :)   

All joking aside, most of my 50+ year in audio audiophile buddies and I slowed down on the gear rotation search, eventually landing on gear we truly enjoy, and forgetting about being an audiophile, back to listening to music. You'll know when you get there. When you don't want to touch anything because it sounds so good.