A principle guiding the wise audiophile life

@p05129 +1. Well stated. There are no perfect components, every design incorporates compromises. Better equipment means the ceiling for your system is higher, you have greater potential. A room with poor acoustics will surely prevent even a superbly designed system from getting close to its potential. Paying attention to acoustics allows equipment to perform at a level much closer to its ceiling. No amount of acoustic improvements, however, can raise that ceiling or overcome the compromises inherent in the design or parts used in the equipment-that can't happen because the limitations are baked in.

I agree with @ghdprentice that truly significant increases in equipment quality usually means better sound and more money. Certainly, there are poorly designed pieces that cost more and less expensive equipment that delivers nice value. Its great that we live in a time where you can construct a really satisfying system without spending an inordinate amount of money. Even so, the adage that you usually get what you pay for turns out to be true.

I recently saw a comment to a YouTube video touting cheap gear wherein this fellow declared that his $5,000 speakers would perform as well as ANY $50,000 speakers. My first thought was, how did he find time to listen to all those speakers? My next thought was, if that was true, there would be no $50,000 speakers.

We can all be too competitive about audio. There is no "best" system. The real deal is putting something together within our respective means that gets you to a joyful place with the music. That place is different for all of us. 

@newton_john - we have a similar problem about the music...her tastes are much more encompassing of what I as a certified music snob look down my nose at, however there is a good bit that we share and we do...she prefers to do her listening while driving. While I prefer to drive in silence and concentrate on staying alive while every other car on the road seems hell-bent on taking me out either on purpose or through inattention. So I listen a lot at home at relatively low levels and she listens in the car...we do however enjoy movies and the home theater equipment gives us common ground to share equally. It works. Our tastes in program material for movies overlap enough there is seldom any battle. 

@p05129 I agree with a lot you say, but I have also found that some of these premium brands are just premium because they include the audiophile tax...Which is all to liberally applied via the marketing department of the companies guilty of such egregious acts and willingly paid by those who because they cannot discern being taken for a ride willingly chip in and become that company's most recent mark. I stubbornly take the position that if its not an audible difference then it is not a difference that matters unless it has to do with ease of use or basic functionality. I make the argument, that for me at least, discerning the difference between a 500 dollar DAC and a 50k dollar DAC is not something I can perceive with all my senses on high alert. Is this more a reflection of admitting my advancing age and subsequent inability to hear what some 30-something can hear? Well maybe it is...and if so that is to my advantage to be able get to that sweet spot with my system by spending a heck of lot less money. I'll happily make that trade. Money doesnt grow on trees where I live so being sensible and pragmatic is necessary. This is the same argument that my best friend makes about drinking scotch. He's happy with $30 scotch and thankful his palate doesnt demand the pricier stuff. I submit that this illustrates what the argument is...Everyone draws a line in the sand based on their ears, and their income for what level they must have to feel some sense of satisfaction. Everybody draws that line in a different place. As I replace the pieces in my house that were lost to the fire, I will buy what I think is the best I can get to meet the need and want within the budget allotted. Especially in the area of speakers chosen. This will be my end game system...simply because of where I am in my life. Will it be the best I have ever had? Who knows? I'm starting from scratch so there are going to be mistakes made, in fact there already have been. I'm trying very hard not to make more. 

@livinon2wheels 

So it is with us. When she joins me in the evenings, the music goes off and we watch TV. It's often a struggle to find programmes or movies that we can both tolerate.

Fortunately my wife knows how much I enjoy the music and how much research I do before I buy anything, so she has never said no to anything I’ve purchased. She also likes music playing and suggests I turn it on fairly often. 
I guess I’m a lucky guy.