1. Attached to the TV is an NAD D7050 digital amp driving a pair of Audio Physic Sparks, the original two-way floor standers, that were part of my daughter's graduation gift.
   She now has the Audio Physic Virgo IIs that were my #1 for many years.
   
   
2. In my wife's studio she has a Marantz All-in-one with a pair of Dynaudio two way stand mount Focus 160s. That speaker is discontinued unfortunately.  It is a superb performer, I remember reading a Stereophile review where the reviewer said, paraphrasing, "Perhaps nobody should pay more - or less for a speaker".  But at $2,900 they probably did not seem like a good value (unless you listened and appreciated the quality of the sound.)
   I did an experiment a few years ago and attached them to my #1 system (replacing the Atria IIs - (at less than 8% of the current Atria cost!) and they held their own.  The detail and sense of space and air were not quite there but tonally no complaints.

Both of those systems provide provide sound better, probably, than 95% of the "HiFi" systems out there.

I enjoy my 4 box Harbeth "Kitchen" system (it is almost always on from when I start to cook until I finish eating) but it does not have quite the same "you are there" factor as the "big rig" 12 box Rockport based one, even if I do sit in the sweet spot with a glass of wine.  

So often, I'll go to my living room with a book, select some works on the Aurender, and discover an hour later that I haven't opened the book!

Many years ago now (1995 perhaps) I heard what was then state of the art.  All top of the line Audio Note (Kondo) electronics and JM-Labs Grande Utopias.  Something over $500,000 msrp.  That was a truly amazing experience - as close to the absolute sound as I can imagine.

I do agree about "buy once, buy good" but budgetary and spatial constraints can be lessened over time.  I am an amateur furniture maker and still use the hand tools, the workbench, and the bandsaw, that I bought 45 years ago.  However, when I retired to the country with a 1,500 sq ft basement space, I had room for new table saw and jointer-planer with exponentially better performance.  Similarly I had space for the Virgos but now I have a room suitable for the Atrias - and I do find the music even more emotionally involving.  And DAC performance is unrecognizable. 

I am not a "tweaker"; I remember, in about 2007 I think, when my CD transport died and I went to Sound by Singer my salesman said he was wondering if I had moved away because I had bought nothing in 6 years!

I listen to what is referred to as "classical" music, though I listen a lot to the romantics, from mid/late Beethoven through Prokofiev, but also to some 20th century - Shostakovich e.g. - so feeling the emotion and passion of the performance is critical to my involvement.  I have often wondered what e.g. Gregorian Chant, a Beethoven symphony, and a Shostakovich quartet have in common that reaches my soul.  I guess I am looking for the best connection with the performer(s).

I apologize for wandering off topic, but much of what you said resonated with me, and made me think about why I am, perhaps, searching for the unreachable!