Hilarious! Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant!
Step 12: Celebrate Recovery
Congratulations! Youāve made it. Now, letās celebrate by listening to We Are the Champions on a clock radio.
Step 7: Accept That Good Music Can Be Played on Bad Equipment
Say it with me: āGood music is good music, even on a Bluetooth speaker.ā
Actually everything sounds good on my Bluetooth speaker, even bad recordings. Yes itās lower resolution, and limited high frequency range, but that helps make lousy recording more tolerable.
Step 7: Accept That Good Music Can Be Played on Bad Equipment
Itās funny you quoted this one; I was about to as well . . . . but
I find this is the only one I canāt abide by.
Long road trips with a cheap in-car radio? Most of the state vehicles I rode in had just an AM radioāGAG! Most bars, restaurants, elevators, grocery stores have sounds that suck. Most people I know have pathetic systems that makes bad music worse, and good music bad. The only exceptions might be the Chipmunks.
Itās Ok, youāve just begun your journey. Weāre all here for you Brother. 
These ideas, they seem fun but they are all false.
The key to happiness is spending all your retirement money on Audio gear before your wife spends it in a casino.
(True story)
We should form a āhotlineā for any forum member who feels they are ārecoveringā from their audiophile identity. We just canāt let that happen. Dear god, we are not philistines!
Step 1: Admit That You Canāt Hear the Difference
Life Changing advice that has saved countless thousands but led to no less angst.
No drugs, no alcohol, no (say less) sexā¦ and now also no rock ān roll?
And most of all, no forum?
Mmmā¦
āNaufragar māĆØ dolce in questo mareā
Giacomo Leopardi
I guess Iāll just have to admit I will never stop being an audiophile. Iām in a rabbit hole and want to stay in the rabbit hole. I have never been happier.
Recovering audiophile born again music lover
Thatās where Iām at, although Iād say I never fully fell into the audiophile ball pit.
Some points in my own āde-escalationā from the audiophile worldā¦
Step 1: Admit That You Canāt Hear the Difference
Yep, Iāve added āupgradesā that had no audible effect. But I had the cojones to send them right back to the retailer. Yetā¦
Step 3: Sell Off Unnecessary Gear (or at Least Try)
ā¦I still have a lot of older system components in the basement taking up room, falling into disrepair from lack of use, and tying up money (no matter how little) we desperately need right about now. My only reason for not selling most of it is due to local sellers who will beat you up on price because they want it at 20% of the price you list it at. (Iām considering a table at a local radio/audio/record swap meet later this year where I can just unload it to sellers who actually want it.)
Step 4: Learn to Appreciate Music Again
Honestly, I never was a āgear chaserā or fell into that audiophile upgrade-itis where every component needed constant upgrade. For me, itās always been about the music first. The only time components have bothered me is if they have a shortcoming I canāt live with (either sonically, or functionally), or develop problems that are easier to fix by replacing a component vs. having it repaired by some technician of unknown pedigree. This leads straight intoā¦
Step 7: Accept That Good Music Can Be Played on Bad Equipment
Iāve always done this. I donāt expect audiophile sound when Iām wrenching on one of our hoopties in the driveway (current favorite is the JBL Boombox 2, and is dang good for what it is), or preparing dinner in the kitchen (over an older JVC mini-system with Boston A40-IIs on top of some cabinets). I need music playing, and I donāt let a system hamper that. Sanity-saving tip? Noise-cancelling earbuds are perfect for excursions into public. To drown out the horrid music many stores are piping over their systems. Especially over the holidays.
Step 5: Stop Reading Audiophile Forums
I have to be honest. I am a technical admin for a music/audio forum (canāt mention which one) and I quit participating over a dozen years ago. I did join one that was much smaller but even there, the tribalism showed its face; I do miss chatting with local pals, though, as many are members. Most just turn into a whizzing contest.
Step 6: Embrace Imperfect Acoustics
My listening area sucks. And I canāt change it. I just live with it. (Iād love some bass traps in the cornersā¦but I have no free corners! This is probably the one upgrade Iād like to makeā¦which may involve relocating.)
Step 11: Help Others on Their Journey
I do try to steer others clear of unnecessary and/or stupidly expensive upgrades of questionable quality but, again, being outside of audiophile forums, I fortunately donāt have to dispense the information often.
Step 12: Celebrate Recovery
Already there. 
Though youāre not a gear chaser, you might consider active bass treatment like the PSI C214 for that bad sounding room. Not perfect, but does what a bunch of big traps do, even better. Like you, I thought of a move to facilitate that better room. Now I donāt.
Step ONE simply cannot be overstated or repeated often enough! It is the absolute reason for the addiction
I think Iāve heard about those before, but the price is a non-starter. Looks like itād be helpful to put one in the room though.
Since we may or may not be here in six months, Iām going to wait a bit before I decide what to do. The main thing is, this isnāt a listening roomāitās also a family room and my work-from-home office and weāre not in that large of a house. Iām happy enough with it for now, but the room certainly could be better. Thatās a ādistant future meā problem.
SCHNERZINGER! get some!
SCHNERZINGER! want some!
SCHNERZINGER! Need some!
Amen to that. Iād saying Iām living that right now somewhere in the southern carribean but my wife makes her own riches so if thatās her entertainment then bless her. She keeps quiet on Ethos like purchases so Iāll be quiet. 
Being in the rabbit hole isnāt the problem itās moving deeper into it.