Grannyring, I couldn't agree more. For a period I was stuck on that same treadmill, until I noticed I was spending more time fiddling with equipment trying to decide if the new piece was better than the piece it replaced. I knew it had gone too far when there were 3 DACs sitting in boxes waiting thier turn. It's easy to find quality items at substantially reduced prices but one after the other just gets old and pointless after a while.
Although I still look for good bargains on equipment I haven't tried, it's not an all consuming habit any longer.
For a sanity check take a look at Wwwrecords system and read the comments there. An audiophile with a proper perspective.
