Did a satisfaction threshold exist under 1000 bucks ?

If you are truly committed to the best possible sound you can get, then the next issue is financial. If I could only afford an eight hundred dollar system without taking food off the table or losing the roof over my head then getting a carefully constructed $1,000 system is going to sound great.

Systems at the $1K, $5K, $10K, $50K, $100K… etc, within the limits of values in sound quality each sound better than the preceding category when presented to knowledgable people that are passionate about sound quality without financial constraints… that’s a pretty objective group.

So, does a satisfaction level exist under $1,000? Absolutely. If you cannot afford more… or if you are compulsively frugal and can afford more.

I went to Outward Bound and after having no food or water for three days, being rained on for a day, snowed on for a day, freezing my butt off, with no tent or sleeping bag and having a trail biscuit and hot tea was one of the best meals I ever had.

@waytoomuchstuff “…I can recall many highly emotional and satisfying moments with "lesser systems." As my knowledge and awareness of "better sound" pursued an upward trajectory, each time a layer was peeled back revealing the complexity and nuance (and, yes, bone-jarring impact) of the performance my appreciation for the music, and those boxes and cables that made it happen grew exponentially. …”

👍 +1

@hilde45

I was reading Walden Pond a few years ago and shocked at what a ridiculous book it was to me. I am an adventurer and outdoors enthusiast… but that was silly to me. The idea of taking all the incredible effort and investment I have put in my system and going backwards is completely anathema to me, as was the silly little book. Now Anna Karenina, that’s a book.

@mahgister ”…It is generally way less costlier to learn acoustic and mechanical and electrical embeddings than to purchase an upgrade ...”.

Sure… but It really depends on your lifestyle. When I was working I typically worked more than sixty hours a week for the half time I was not out of the country. I made good money in my career… what I did not have was time. So, while I enjoyed extensive research while traveling… there was simply no reason not to buy good quality equipment.

@mahgister 

👍