When I first moved from a clock radio at 16 to a pair of cerwin vega's and yamaha gear, I was on cloud nine. It was unbelievable. Two years later I realised my system wasn't even a blip on the road to proper hifi. Then I heard a full cyrus system with dynaudio's and had to move on. That was a major step up, so once again I felt great. For about six months. What once amazed soon became normal everyday sounds. The goal posts of expectation moved again. Over the next few years I kept upgrading in huge leaps forward though another 3 setup's, various kit, sillier prices, passive to active etc. Now my kit is at a level I couldn't have imagined back when I was a teenager, but now I'm used to it after six months, I take it for granted. Sure, there's a long way to go towards a perfect rig, but this is really good right now. Except I don't appreciate it as much as I should and it seems normal now. The wow factor has faded and I just enjoy my tunes in a relaxed normal manner. It just sounds totally everyday normal. This pattern must be never ending. I guess those with hyper priced gear are just a bit further along the line, in terms of time, seeking out that next wow upgrade fix. I don't want to get trapped into the thought of continual upgrades, so I don't think about it. It's just a funny situation on reflection. Will it end with me just taking it for granted, or will I have to build a concrete horn under my house first? :D Mind you, I heard my Mum's old Arcam and Revel system the other day, for the first time in many years. I recall it sounded great when new. Now it sounds about as clear as an announcement on the underground. The system hasn't changed, only my personal goal posts. I think our brains must retune all the time, somehow changing our expectations. If your getting into the upgrade-itis too much I'd reccommend listening to something dire for a week. Your system will never have sounded so good afterwards. And it'll be free! Just building up music and ignoring the kit. For now. Yeah right...