Douglas_schroeder, I concur that most all people are compulsive in varying degrees about something or another as you mentioned & I believe that is how folks get things done. My wife is compulsive about a clean house and it becomes difficult at times to relax and enjoy music when you have a vacuum cleaner running in the background but I do prefer a clean house but not to that degree. Fire up the stereo & here comes the cleaning crew!
Anyway I don't know how any audiophile can avoid making some purchase errors when there is so much gear out there and so little time. Although I have tried alot of gear, I haven't heard everthing or tried every conceivable combination. You can go into the forums & read excellent reviews on any given piece & the reviewer may claim its a giant killer but compared to what & what type of sound does he prefer. I know a fine gentleman who has been in the hifi business since the early sixties. A quiet man but very experienced & if asked he will tell you what gear he prefers & he is usually right on the money. Out of curiosity I asked him what type of equipment he's currently using, he said he no longer owns a stereo just a tabletop radio. I wonder sometimes as you mature & the hooplah wears off if this is the final situation that some audiophiles will find themselves in. I know at this juncture I am using just an integrated amp, (one step closer to the tabletop radio?) hopefully not, but I might eventually lose interest in it & go back to separates, on the other hand it may not happen.