mmm... i think that there is two hobbies around here. The first chill hobby is enjoying listening to music. and then there is the second hobby: enjoying buying audiophile equipment. (which is actually more just a shopping hobby)
first hobby is chill, fun, totally free, and is actually the point of all this other stuff. in the second hobby, people get a bit out of control and lose sight of the original first hobby. you see some members here w/ crazy long lists of 'audiophile gear' who encourage other people around here to buy more stuff... and then people end up with tons of different headphones, amps, and dacs costing tons of money with no real tangible benefit. you really only have one pair of ears and only a few hours a day to listen to music.
you technically don't need so much gear or so much expensive equipment to enjoy your music, but the audiophile myth makes people think that the more you spend on this hobby, the more return you get. I've actually found the opposite to be true. after you hit that $200-500 window for all your gear, it's all ridiculous diminishing returns. but then, i think it is really hilarious that there are some people around here on a budget who end up buying so many different budget tier equipment looking for their sound that it ends up being $1000+ or something ridiculous. might as well just invest in a luxury flagship at that point and forget it.