How do I know if my systems any good?

If it makes you happy, then it’s good.  I’ll put on some Jazz and close my eyes and in a few minutes my foot is tapping and a smile comes to my face.

If it sounds good to you, it doesn't matter what anyone else's system sounds like. Stop worrying about the Jones' systems.

It’s good if you sit, listen, become catatonic and think “This is the way,” repeatedly.

Without prejudice to the hobby’s basic philosophy that usually fails to scratch the itch to upgrade or try new gear …and has elements of an addiction:

- In addition of your system’s ability to get the fundamentals of music right; and,

- that it adds clarity and resolution; and,

- you enjoy its ability to lay out a vivid and coherent 3-dimensional stereo image,

then what more could you want?

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Agree with the “…if it sounds good”, “listen for hours”, “can’t walk away” school of appreciation noted here. My method is to enjoy what I have and tweak here and there, mostly with speaker positioning and AC power conditioning, not ADD but REMOVE as much noise as possible.  And as for music, that is the real key to it all. Finding the true piece of magic that simply takes your breath away, even on modest systems like mine.