Retired audiophile?

Papermill, first, compliments on the craftsman house, the river dwelling and your rigs. It appears you are in a very comfortable place for retirement.

I have slowed down the buying and trying of audio gear considerably as I am very comfortable with how my system sounds, its functionality and the enjoyment it brings me. Looking back, the surprising thing is the contrast in how much time I have spent building this system compared to my college/early adult system of a vintage Sansui receiver, Jensen triaxial speakers in DIY cabinets, and a Phillips (later Thorens) turntable, which was every bit as satisfying.

I think "retirement" from being an audiophile is more related to priorities and what is important to a person than to what they have achieved with their system. The endless tweaks, cable changes, gear swaps, reviews, etc. lose their significance after awhile, especially when the gain is viewed in relation to the effort. In life, we vote with our time. In retrospect, I wish I had started retiring earlier.

I am reminded of advice I received years ago when overly weighing the pros and cons of components to put on a new mountain bike....."just ride the bike."

Zd,
Honestly, money is certainly always part of the equation . When isn't it? However, the last two years have been transformative in terms of equipment. Digital front end (Esoteric K-03) amp (BorderPatrol P21) and speakers (Volti Alura) have all been upgraded along with cabling. So the level of performance and investment has become very satisfying. I have the good fortune of having a friend who is an audio reviewer, and so I have been able to hear multiple high end systems through the years. My ear and heart are educated. My contentment then, is real.
Jayant,
I frequently tell my audio buddies that I am a committed luddite when it comes to new technology. I was recently forced to source digital (CD, iTunes, TIDAL) while I solved an analog problem. Although I enjoyed revisiting music in my library, I continue to prefer vinyl. New technology? Not so much: source - vinyl, preamp - tubed, amp - tubed 300b, speaker - horn hybrid. Done artfully, old technology is my preference.
Do I continue to consider myself an audiophile by its varied definitions? Yes. Retired.

I wasn't being completely serious in my last post. By the way, who's the reviewer you know?

I seem to be some kind of outlier. I'm 85, retired 15 years, still buying open reel tapes, vinyl, and SACDs/CDs, still investing in new gear (most recently an Oppo 105 with ModWright tube mods), currently comparing balanced interconnects between this unit and my Aesthetix Calypso linestage. Twenty-nine tubes in the system and I have massive quantities of records, tapes, CDs/SACDs and even 78s. Yeah, I can afford this and and am extremely grateful that I can. Downsides: my hearing sucks and my heavy lifting days are long gone. Upsides: plenty of time to indulge all this and my interest hasn't flagged in the slightest. Another major upside is having a group of audiobuddies of like mind who visit frequently (as I do them) and a wife who encourages all this nonsense.

Dopogue,
Glad to know you and I'm sure many others who in the retirement years, continue to be active in our hobby!