To be honest, I am afraid to even think about what I spent on my system. The thought makes a cringe a bit sometimes so I just avoid thinking about the live blissfully ignorant, spending more and more money into this crazy hobby!
That being said, I try to avoid saying how much I spent not because I am afraid people will think I am nuts but because I do not want to go through the inevitable justification. "How much is your Esoteric better than my $50 Sony cdp?" "Can you really tell the difference"...blah blah blah. Trying to explain the value I place on audio to non-audiophiles is exhausting, fruitless work. Therefore, from my experience, the best reply is "Not much more than what you can get at Best Buy or Circuit City". That response usually ends the discussion.
That being said, I try to avoid saying how much I spent not because I am afraid people will think I am nuts but because I do not want to go through the inevitable justification. "How much is your Esoteric better than my $50 Sony cdp?" "Can you really tell the difference"...blah blah blah. Trying to explain the value I place on audio to non-audiophiles is exhausting, fruitless work. Therefore, from my experience, the best reply is "Not much more than what you can get at Best Buy or Circuit City". That response usually ends the discussion.