Great thread OP. When I faced the similar situation I had also thought about downsizing, but imho it kinda make myself/the family feeling good, rather than provide some solid helps to the situation.
But anyway it’s always good to have at least an Ittok LP12 and chrome bumpers, or a supernait 3, a simple, small system make great music and you will defo thank to it when finally away from the difficult situation.
Bottom line is saying that causes friction. Maybe it would help if you took the comment back a bit. Yes, they are boxes. But for many on here, they are an important part of our lives. The forum is a community and there is much love on here and understanding.
For me my system and this forum has been my solace. I have found so much support, respect and friendship on here. It’s not just music or just boxes. It’s a way of life! And for so many of us!
Maybe just take it on board! Many thanks,
Dan
OK, let me be a little controversial. You’ve been fortunate to have the wherewithal to chase diminishing returns and build an enviable system. I get giving it up will be a big wrench. However, turn that on it’s head and look instead for the joy in finding the max musical satisfaction for minimum outlay. That has its own satisfaction and you have an advantage (albeit peverse) - necessity is the mother of invention.
I wouldn’t bother replying, love you buddy 
I’ll be frank here, for the past couple of years I’ve suffered from mental illness, there I’ve said it on an open forum! My family and friends have been a rock supporting me through what is a difficult period, also my audio setup has been a saviour.
Between Christmas and New Year my 16 year old daughter suffered a major blood clot, shes athletic, slim and young. Spent a week in hospital, it was 50/50 if she would survive. Life throws things at you when you least expect it, thankfully Ellie is recovering, love you Ellie x
Music is everything to me, I need it like the air we breathe. Life is short and fragile, I dont get the hostility, too much of this in the world.
I am sending you all of my support my good friend. And most of all my love and support to your daughter Ellie. I am here for you 100% buddy.
I had an unexpected child when I was 40. Sold everything I had to help fund him and to move house. I didn’t regret or miss it. I still listened to music and enjoyed it. I knew what I was missing and now have an ok system.
I don’t want to lose it again but if I had to I would. There are some great low cost solutions now, either new or second hand.
Like others when things are not going how I would like, a good session of my fave tracks puts me in a better place. When played nice and loud on my system music is drug I won’t give up easily.
Selling stuff at a loss which you are likely to re-buy later is financially undesirable to say the least…..
But if you absolutely have to raise cash then nothing is sacred…..
Show a little respect please. Dan has been through a lot and does not need such comments on this friendly forum
I hope you feel the support from many here. Mentally, friendly, musically, Naimly or otherwise. Life can be challenging sometimes. It is good to have friends in unexpected places.
A bit of research on this forum would show you that your comments are not very appropriate. For some the boxes, what they represent and the joy they bring are important. Sharing this and other interests with this community makes a difference. Dismissing that is not so nice. But it is also good if you do n’t care about these things. We are all different.
One other thing I would like to say. On my audio journey, which started when I was around 10 years old with a lowly Steepletone stereo record player to now at 65 with the best system I’ve ever owned (not the most costly) or even heard, there has been very little correlation, if indeed any, between the standard or cost of equipment I’ve owned and my enjoyment of music over all those years. Having a really capable system is desirable and wonderful, but for me at least, certainly not a necessity to enjoy music. That little Denon micro system we use in our kitchen is absurdly good and engaging and my wife listens to it far more than our main system. Here isn’t the right place to explore or discuss it but there can be something very special about a simple low cost system that manages to elude some rather more expensive and capable systems.
I have been through tough times on a couple of occasions, but the hifi remained - it would be the last thing to go bar cooking facilities, a home of some sort and clothing, and so downsizing never happened, but I guess if gear has a high enough resale value it might prompt deeper consideration.
Different of course if someone has overstretched or borrowed to buy something (hifi or other), something that in my view is unwise other than for a home: better to save and buy later, and minimise expenditure by buying secondhand, if the desired and justified things are a high proportion of income.
All the best to the OP and anyone similarly in dire difficulties, and hopefully music will prevail
My feeling is that if someone has to sell their audio equipment because the economy is on a downturn, that person couldn’t afford their audio equipment in the first place. Better financial planning and an adjustment of priorities are in order. Just because someone can find a way to buy something, it doesn’t mean they can afford it.
Hopefully, things improve for everyone. Sometimes a simpler lifestyle can actually be a blessing.
Before making a big decision it may help to consider whether selling the gear actually makes a reasonable dent in the financial situation. Seeling and replacing with much lesser new gear will, in most cases, not be significant fiscal advantage because of the cost of new is close to the cost of selling.
Selling and replacing with a downsized but second hand system is usually the only viable way for selling a hifi to have a meaningful impact on finances short of selling and simply not replacing.
I guess the other thing to factor in is what other measures are part of the financial restructuring. If this is part of a much larger change to involves selling a home and second cars etc. then a hifi may be less significant beyond a show of solidarity. In other words, focus on the “big rocks”.
Space-wise, I had a similar number of boxes in a large kitchen before so it’s certainly feasible to have a serious hifi in a smaller dwelling as long as at least one room is acceptable. Downsizing is always both a money and space issue and sometimes people have both constraints and sometimes only one.
My last statement is simply encouragement. These things happen. But music enjoyment will not be lost. You will adjust and will find joy in music on something lesser.
Always want what you have, rather than strive to have what you want.
I’m sorry to read of your potential difficulties, and it is a difficult economy here in NZ too. I think that firstly its important to have balance in how you approach the wider situation: don’t act rashly, plan and review, hope for the best but have a back up plan that is there if needed.
I have had thoughts about liquidating equity in my set up at times. Our business has had a big drop in income over the last 2 years and we have had to adjust for that, it wasn’t a great situation and was really out of our control. We set an annual budget and have kept to that. We do have our retirement funds in hand, so it is case of weathering the storm at this point. We have had to adjust future plans too, like a move to a nicer, easy to maintain home as we get older. But that is now economically beyond us (and our daughter), so we just have to adjust those expectations, be grateful for what we have, make it work and move on. We have also trimmed back overseas trips and holiday locally.
As far as the system goes, it was bought when it was affordable and was an end-game plan for retirement. Realistically a sale would be regretted, as with time difficult stations usually pass or you find away around things - hence don’t act rashly!
My closing thought is to also see a more modest lifestyle as an opportunity, as it can lead to a more happy, simpler and contented life and you can still have the odd nice things such as a decent music system. In fact, the main reason we have managed through the down turn has been to simplify the lifestyle, and on balance, that has been a good thing.
It is always sad to hear of any change that negatively impacts, whether health or financial. When times get hard and you need to cut back activities and/or expenditure, I have found that spending more time listening and rediscovering my music library has been of comfort. With the added bonus that this activity costs no money.
During these times I have just had to accept that whatever the hardware system is, is the way it will be for the foreseeable future.
I hope that all in the forum can find solace in their music during any difficult times.
I am downsizing because of my health last year, I surrendered my driving license .
99% of the time I feel that I am fit t drive , but in certain situations I glaze over. It has made me somewhat depressed 
, but the house is too big for me.
I have gone through the box issues and went all the way from a seven box system to a Nova and CD player. Then I went to a Nait 50
.
If and when I downsize then it will be to a flat with a balcony for some of my plants. The second bedroom will become an audio room , and my existing system will be split into two.
A headphone system and the main system. Both systems will be Naim centred, with just an analog headphone amplifier being the only non piece of equipment. ( Ex turntable)
Hi Stu, just to hope that things work out for you.
Best wishes
Ian
The fashion todays is to think that people having a lot of boxes and an expensive system are more interested by listening to their system than music.
It’s ridiculous, as this box intempestive reduction goal
Hifi is a luxury. Music is not.