I was one of those people.
I'm under no illusion that my setup is hi-end, but the better my system gets (within my means), the more I enjoy music. Most of you have seen my journey progress from a pair of Q100's with an entry level AVR and lousy (Bic F-12) sub. The real turning point for me was upgrading the sub( I know there are better subs, but limited options in Canada and Kef Kube subs weren't out yet) which at the time hadn't realized how detrimental the bic really sub was. Upgrading the AVR over the holidays further improved my listening enjoyment. I still have room for improvement which will be replacing the Q100's with LS50's at some point.
It applies to me as well, in a different way. You've heard what the improvements can bring to your enjoyment and satisfaction level. I didn't just 'catch the bug', I was infected with the plague.
From the time I started with my first system of my own after I got married in 1980, the focus had always been music. (At that time, exclusively hard album-oriented rock.) When I did the first major upgrade in '88, it was again music though I quickly added two surround speakers. A sub was always out of reach as we were raising two kids with a 3rd coming. It was not until that 3rd kid was a teen that I got a center speaker and sub, and it was HIS idea! He had replaced my beloved Harmon Kardon HK440vxi with a used Sony 5.1 AVR, thrown in a crappy Polk "sub" and BIC center. I wasn't even paying attention, and no longer listening. My Onkyo C7400 single CD player was changed to a Sony, my Dual 503-1cs turntable was trashed. My Hafler 200 speakers started sounding horrible. I was at a sound reproduction low. That youngest one moved in with a girl's family (weird), and finally I paid attention.
In 2011 I replaced the tweeters in the main speakers with OE replacements, replaced the surrounds with a pair of Infinity 2000SS I bought for $50. The next year I bought on whim a closeout Denon AVR-1912. The boy gave me a pair of KEF iQ10 for Christmas. After my dad passed in '13 and then mom in '15, and all 3 kids were out, it was time for major changes. In October '15 it was the R500's & SB1000, then the R200c, still using iQ10 as surrounds. Right there, almost all 2.1 channel MUSIC via the Sony CDP-CE500 player. Changed to the NAD T758 (not v3 yet), and in Dec '16 got the R100's to replace the iQ10.
That T758 had modes and power I liked, and I got a Bluesound Vault to rip all the CD's. The stereo imaging of the R500's and bass of what had become an SB2000 together with streaming Tidal HiFi for the 1st time (liked what the audio shop had me demo) had me firmly hooked back into 2.1 and 2.0 music again. Why not play those LP's sitting there, so I got a TT. My music listening got so much better, but I always had to move a chair to the middle of the room and sit there to get the best result.
Late last summer I decided to try putting together a true 2.0/2.1 system in my office, where I
always sit in the middle. I first used a Pyle PTA-1 amp I had kicking around, with my IQ10's. Wow, pretty good. A deal on a Kube 10b, and OMG what a leap. I needed sub output, so replaced the Pyle (of crap) with a demo unit NAD D3020. I tried the R100's there, but they really weren't right in that situation. I missed being able to use the BluOS on my desktop; I could only stream with the Tidal desktop app. So I got a Bluesound Powernode 2. Much better. Weeks later at my dealer I half-jokingly asked if they still had the damaged white R100's, one had an ugly, dented-up driver. Yup, but they wouldn't go below $800. I went home with the trade-in mint-condition LS50's they had for just a $100 more.
Now my office is 85% refurbished, the LS50's are on stands, the Powernode 2 is now gifted to my son and replaced with the NAD M10, and my turntable is right here too. It was a 30+ year journey to get from and back to listening to music in stereo. I now listen to far more types of music than ever, very little of it the stuff I loved as a younger man. I never imagined it could be this good, this enjoyable. Movies are such a small part of what I spend time with now.
Everyone has a different journey, and a different destination. That's mine, and no guarantees that I'm done traveling.