Mid level listening

After 40 years in Audio ,owning a Audio store for a decade, it seems as technologies move forward especially digital I have bought several digital upgrades i the last few years, as well as trying to buy even better loudspeakers , and amplification 

For me, the music is the most important thing. I read people say a certain system got their toes tapping. To me, music is what gets my toes tapping, head bobbing, etc; I had no more problem doing it with a handheld transistor radio when I was 16 than I do today with a far, far more expensive and superior system. 

@rvpiano You have published before on critical listen vs music appreciation as well as becoming dissatisfied with rig sound quality over time.  I will respond in a similar way as before.  An audiophile should first and foremost be someone who appreciates musical composition and performance quality over reproduced music sound quality, even though the latter facilitates the former.  An audiophile should be able to develop a musical appreciation mode where the composition and performance engage emotions and a critical listening mode to evaluate equipment and setup to the individual’s ideal sound.  Ideal sound is subjective, and that’s OK.  Developing this ability to have a critical listening mode and a musical appreciation mode, or a between state has nothing to do with becoming dissatisfied with one’s system.  
The psychology of becoming dissatisfied has many causes. 

Sorry, nimble fingers hit send by mistake.  

The psychology of becoming dissatisfied has many causes including, without limitation, reward processing (constantly seeking reward pleasure), hedonic adaptation (diminishing joy over time), consumerism (market psychology - there is always something better you should want; FOMO), and Diderot effect (since one item is new I need another new item).  Goal setting can help.   As a music lover, establish your ideal of how acoustic live music should sound.  Evaluate your system against your ideal, determining where you want to improve.  Audition alternatives and only change when your goal is reached.   I have used this approach and have been satisfied long term, not changing often.  
 

I love the sound of my system.  The only time I become dissatisfied is a few days after I attend live acoustic music performances.   The dynamic bloom, the way the imaging and staging develops, and the liquidity and sweetness of the instruments in a large hall makes me think we are far from this ideal.   My system is close on well engineered recordings, but not there.  Then after a few days, I am back to reveling in musical composition and performance as reproduced by my system   

In my world, if I want to critically listen at lower levels, I have to use cans. But for 65-75 db with 75-85 db peaks, my system does just fine.