Audiophilia: Is it the pursuit of audio excellence or just a desire to tinker.

There is three basic areas about which we can experiment ...

Tinkering is a  more uninformed play  than systematic experiments ...We must study a bit here not just play...

Electrical , mechanical and acoustical are the three areas  to adress for any system at any price ...

When all we can do in this areas  is finished our system has reach his potential ; before that our system nevermind the cost would not be able to reach his potential best S.Q.

No singular upgrade will replace the necessary experiments to embed rightfully  the components not even the upgrades of all components can do the job by purchasing his way to the top S.Q. 😊 Money cannot replace studies and experiments  ... Sorry ...

No measuring tools can magically do the job ...

Even the best designed digital tool ever in my opinion  , the DSP based BACCH filters cannot replace electrical, mechanical and acoustical embeddings ...And my only future upgrade will be the BACCH filters ...

Both.  In your search for "audio excellence", "tinkering" is one of the procedures.  Like changing the cartridge on your turntable.  May seem to be "tinkering" to most.  At $5,000, I would not call it, Tinkering.  Probably closer to Surgery.

@stuartk thanks. 

Changing a cartridge for a way costlier one is not "tinkering" nor it is  an embedding control device it is an upgrade of component  ...😁

Tinkering is  often like walking with your hand without seeing ...

We must learn how to control the main  three working dimensions of a system...

And a search for excellence in sound which never end is not a search for excellence in sound but in most case a mental disease or an obsession  ...Any study and set of experiments in acoustic end somewhere ...Any speakers building end somewhere etc ...

I listen music now without being frustrated ...I guess i am no more an "audiophile" or perhaps i am an informed one ...😉

Both. In your search for "audio excellence", "tinkering" is one of the procedures. Like changing the cartridge on your turntable. May seem to be "tinkering" to most. At $5,000, I would not call it, Tinkering. Probably closer to Surgery.

Personally I feed this need by building.  Whether it is speakers or cables, I find it more satisfying to make something than buying something.

I encourage all audiophiles to at least once in their hobby lifetime to build at least 1 speaker kit.  They are affordable and rewarding in ways far better than being armchair critics.

Can't you give it a rest? Your response is not even germane to the OP.