Set-up. An expertly set up $30K system will trounce a megabuck system set up by an airhead.
That said, the best parts cost money. By that I mean parts that are better in ways known to physics, not hyper-relativistic black hole refractory spirals (apologies if someone has already trademarked this - I sin in ignorance).
You simply can't fake nude Vishay resistors or vacuum capacitors or air bearings. Once you've heard them, there is no going back - and it doesn't matter how much can be spent on overhyped gear du jour, which uses such parts sparingly, if at all. And won't be set up correctly anyway.
That said, the best parts cost money. By that I mean parts that are better in ways known to physics, not hyper-relativistic black hole refractory spirals (apologies if someone has already trademarked this - I sin in ignorance).
You simply can't fake nude Vishay resistors or vacuum capacitors or air bearings. Once you've heard them, there is no going back - and it doesn't matter how much can be spent on overhyped gear du jour, which uses such parts sparingly, if at all. And won't be set up correctly anyway.