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

Buy a pair of Spendor 1/2s...seriously.

I had a pair of those once. (I'm the OP.) :-)

Mrtennis put it very well! Easier said than done for me but not for some.

Knowledge is knice, but wisdom is better.

Knowledge is the facts. Understanding is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts, and Wisdom is knowing what to do next.

Knowledge Understanding Wisdom
Facts Meaning What to Do Next
Information Principles Application
Memory Reason Action
Scholars Teachers Prophets

Those with knowledge are able to collect, remember, and access information. They are scholars. But, it is possible to have knowledge and lack understanding and wisdom; to have the facts, but have no clue as to the meaning or what to do next.

Those with understanding are able to abstract the meaning out of information. They "see through" the facts to the dynamics of what, how, and why. They are teachers. Understanding is a lens which brings the facts into crisp focus. Understanding produces "rules of thumb" or principles.

Those with wisdom know which principle to apply now. Understanding without wisdom can appear contradictory. For example, "He who hesitates is lost", is a valid principle as well as: "Haste makes waste". We see the truth of both. But which should we apply next? Those with wisdom know what to do next; they know which way to go. They do the right thing. In contrast, there are many who have great knowledge and understanding, but consistently do the wrong thing. Wisdom, in this sense, is the goal, and knowledge and understanding only have eternal value as they result in wisdom, or what we end up doing.

You gain the wisdom to know that nothing is perfect and when your enjoying your system to leave well enough alone. Their (mags) are always going to tell you something is better, and they work on the fear that something will lead to seeing god, which you learn is never the case. You can make huge changes just by improving your room which is 50% of the final sound.

Going through gear like socks you will never find a system that you like because you have to work with any system to get the most enjoyment out of it.