Mikey find new gear these days that makes him feel 'ecstatic' about listening to his music, even though he already reviews some of the best equipment on the planet.  He is being blown away by gear that rocks him musically and intellectually on all levels, and his new discoveries are bringing him closer to the music.  I think that type of emphatic review really hammers home what the 'cost no-object' brings to the field as trickle-down technology.  In face of the best the world has to offer with the likes of MBL, VTL and Soulution, he is getting his cake and eating it too. 

I get from his writing everywhere this gear excels, and it helps me draw conclusion (however far-distant) what to listen for when I listen to music through my rig.  I so dig that, and it's possible implications for 'lowly' me 5 or 10 years from now.  That's what this hobby is about, at least on my end.  For a random example, I expect to hear QOL technology for $2000 in a few years, (or at least for it's value in a preamp or what not). I've heard it said before, but technology and audio are the only places 'trickle-down' exists. I'm personally greatful for that, maybe not now, but definitely later.

There are very meaningful components coming out every year in almost every sector, and I think it's a new Golden Age of audio.