How does one get off the merry-go-round?

Because that's what Internet radio is.

This is mainly about changing the way I source music. Getting out of the gear hobby is an added bonus.

one can leave the audio merry-go-'round by first establishing a sonic objective, configuring a stereo system that achieves that objective, and, being satisfied with the sound, decides not to replace any component in the stereo system.

I think one could get off the merry go round for a while but if you are a music lover and an audiophile, you are still in the amusement park! You may not be on the rides, but you are reading magazines, posts, etc. and are always thinking about equipment, even if you are not actively pursuing it. Sometimes you get off the merry go round only to get on the ferris wheel or the roller coaster!

This thread is nearing its eighth birthday and still remains unresolved for many including, presumably, its author. So, is there an answer?

I'm not rotating like I used to - certainly I've slowed the circles down - but I also have unresolved issues with my system. There are no areas of glaring dissatisfaction. There are no important reasons why I couldn't just stop right now. But there remains a curiosity about what could be improved, about how I might achieve the same results from less complexity or less investment. Or how to refine what I have just a little more.

It all leads me ultimately to conclude that I will never be completely satisfied and I may as well just call it a day and live with what I have. In the final analysis (had to fit that word in here somehow) the problem really is with me and not the system. My expectations are driving this madness. They're the cause of perpetual grinding about what to do next or whether or not to do anything at all.

Ultimately it seems that until we transfer the focus from our systems to ourselves, we will be treating the wrong patient.