I'm always perturbed about inquiries based on how much one spends. If I calculated what I purchased versus sold, I'm well under the floor. Most of the enjoyment out of this isn't ticket prices or bragging about how much the system costs. I believe most of us enjoy the music. To the degree that we share our pleasure it's the enjoyment of the sound and listening.
You could ask the same about cars or sports cars. Now that you've spent $100K on a Porsche, do you regret what you spend and do you think you could have gotten the same enjoyment out of a BMW? The answer is no. I've been on forums where people compare numbers and say car x makes the same horsepower and torque as the Porsche GT4. Those who ask why spend the extra on a Porsche haven't experienced it. those who have just nod and get it pretty quickly.
We spend what we spend because we can. I assume no one is homeless because they are schlepping a $100k system in a grocery cart living under a bridge.
When I started this journey my system budget was $5k. Then I'd hear something that I liked better and I had to spend more to get it. No regrets.
BTW - there is no justification for what any of us spend on audio systems. It's a luxury either big or small. but it isn't a necessity that we must have.
Could I have gotten better music listening pleasure out of a cheaper system? The proof is in the spending and the answer is no. Could I have settled for less, absolutely. But what's the fun in that?
