I disagree, calvinj. Knowing the sound of live, unamplified music (jazz, chamber, classical) in good spaces is critcial in choosing each and every piece of equpmnet. Put them all together with neutral cable. Then take steps to balance the sound. In a living room, diffussers? No, floor to ceiling bookcases full of books. Back wall "bounce", treatment? How about a woven Mexican or Indian rug, or a wall tapestry. Knowing what to listen for and what to fix to get "live sound" is the solution.
AUDIO PRICE INSANITY PRICE VS. PERFORMANCE WORTH IT?
What do you y’all think? I have 30k into my system and I recently attended AXPONA 2018. I compared what I heard to what I have. I felt my system compared to the 80 to 100k systems quite well. Matching is important. Also your reference point. Any thoughts yall?