Heed the warning! My soundsystem and records are a pile of ashes

Very sorry for your loss, really.  Most HO policies will cover your records and equipment from fire, all subject to the total "Coverage C - Personal Property" limit shown in the policy declarations, w/out sub-limits.  There may be endorsements that expand that limit as well, so review your coverages thoroughly.  As opposed to preparing for a fight, come ready to educate the carrier/adjuster on the specifics of what you have/had, whether music gear or otherwise (even the home).  It is a tough ask, especially after such a tragedy, but the concept of helping them to help you goes a long way.  The policy is a contract and says what it says.  They need to see you get the full benefit of the policy terms, and to explain all coverages available to you.  Generally, they want to pay you what is owed, no more or no less.  Valuation of personal property at "like kind and quality" is a thing, nothing new and has been a generally accepted principle for decades.  Are some companies/adjusters better, more skilled, more empathetic than others?  Yes.  People are people in any job/role/industry.  They do not stay awake at night thinking for ways to cheat you.  The plaintiffs bar in CA is skilled and aggressive. Carriers are fully aware of this.   There is always time to fight, but starting from that point can make the process more of a challenge.  Best of luck and wish you and all those directly/indirectly impacted the best possible outcome from all this.  Hang tough. 

You and your family are safe. Material things can be recouped.

Someone i know lost his firstborn almost 20 years ago and he still feels like shooting himself in the head every year the hint of a birthday rolls around... Doesn't matter how wealthy one is or not, life has all kinds of ways to break you. You ain't taking a single atom with you on the way out...it's all taken back 100%.

So...fire, records lost, etc isn't too bad.. A qobuz subscription at 10 dollars a month in the near future will fix you right up and the insurance will take care of the housing situation. Rent a li'l place by the beach in puerto rico or something for 500 bucks a month and the sound of the ocean will make things pretty good.

Good luck to you and all the others in LA. 

A friend lost absolutely everything except for the clothes on their backs when a faulty built-in home vacuum system started a fire. They are all, now, living happily ever after - having fully recovered from that trauma.

"Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit"

Perhaps someday we will look back upon these days with joy.

The Aenid, Book 1, (Vergil)

Prayers going out for your safe recovery.

In my book, you are the luckiest guy in the world. Several years ago, my wife died suddenly.  The record collection and audio system I had at the time were magnificent and meaningless. Be thankful every day for your family. Not much else matters.