Ben,
Thank you for posting you inquiry.
It's not a matter of money.
More money won't necessarily buy you better sound. More often
than not, higher cost doesn't add to the sound quality, but more
to the looks of the thing.
Spending more may buy you a lot of decorative nonsense that doesn't
contribute one ounce of quality to the sound. I possibly have breadboards
that may sound better than many of the chrome plated, glass enclosed, polished aluminum, powder coated concoctions that are sold daily as high end audio.
None of those add on decorations alter the sound in a positive way. It's just fluff.
The cake taker, prize winning gullible buyer award, for absurdity goes to the claim that replacing the POWER CORD on a turntable with a $1500.00 power cord improved the sound. BS. It definitely improved the financial position of the seller, but I have REAL SERIOUS DOUBTS that a power cord can make the highs crisper or the bass cleaner.
Defies physics.
The quality of a sound is the result of supplying a acoustical experience to ones ears that is more pleasing than other experiences that the person has experienced. It may be different for each individual, however, MOST people, (possessing good hearing facility) will agree on a certain set of characteristics of an aural experience as being "quality".
It is a matter of what you buy, and how it is designed. Not the amount of polished aluminum that it is included in the illusion.
What state and city are you in?
I would love to have your ears in my room for an hour if by shear dumb luck you are near me in Southern California.
