Vinyl isn't the money pit that many would have you believe, depending on your wants/needs. For many people, myself included, the fact that a rock being dragged through a piece of plastic can sound so amazing is kind of magical. There is a ritual to playing a record that appeals to me (and again, many others) that cannot be replicated by pushing a play button or tapping an ipad. Of course, I love the range of options and choices I have with streaming but it doesn't connect with me in the same way as my records do. Awesome for music in my car, at my desk at work, turned up so I can hear it while I bop around the house, etc, but when I sit down in the old sweet spot I don't even consider putting on a streaming source. I've said it before, black licorice is the best candy. Don't agree? No problem! It doesn't affect my enjoyment one whit.
When I started down this road I hadn't heard the term "audiophile" and wouldn't hear it for years (decades?). All I knew was that I spent many pleasurable hours lying on the floor in front of a pair of my parents' Thorens turntable connected to a Marantz integrated amp driving a pair of Sansui speakers (you know, the ones with the grills that looked like carved wood). Of course, back then I had no clue whatsoever that these were "high quality" audio brands, but I believe I would have still caught the bug if it was a Realistic rack system.
Long story short - get a turntable. Get a few of your favorite records. If you don't feel like you made the right decision, you can sell the lot for a little less than you paid and call it a day. The rabbit hole is only as big as we indivually make it.
