Price/performance curve

You've posed a very interesting question, and I'm not sure that I can answer it within the hypotethical framework you proposed. To some extent, the answer one gives depends a bit on how much you have to spend on high-end audio equipment. I suspect I am in the mid-range of audiophiles when it comes to systems. I have, however, been a fairly serious audiophile for 30+ years, and have also sold high-end gear on several occasions. In response to your question, I think the "knee of the curve" for the major components in a system (pre-amp, power amp, and speakers) falls in the $2500-3500 range, per component (MSRP). Within this range, you can buy some good-to-excellent products from a number of manufacturers, and assemble a system that is of very high quality. To get AUDIBLY SUPERIOR sound quality will require spending at least 3 times as much money. It also assumes that you have an excellent listening room, because at these price ranges, the listening environment becomes a very important element in the reproduced sound. With regard to other items in the system, I would posit the following price ranges at the "knee" in the cost/performance relationship: 1. Turntables: $2000 -2500. 2. Tonearms: $1500 - 2000. 3. Cartridges: $500. 4. CD players: $1000-1500. 5. Speaker cables (assuming an 8-ft pair): $500. 6. Interconnects: $200 - 250 per 1-meter pair. In assembling my own system, I was very conscious of value. In short, I want a lot of performance for medium cost (I bought a lot of my equipment used from listing on Audiogon). Here is what I have in my system: VPI HW-19 Mk 4 turntable with Rega RB900 arm and Shure V15VxMR cartridge; Lehmann Audio Black Cube phono preamp; Rega Jupiter CD transport; Adcom GTP-750 pre/pro; Sony D550 DVD player; JVC S-VHS videotape deck; Vandersteen 3A Signature main speakers; Vandersteen center channel speaker; B&W rear surround speakers; Kimber 8TC in bi-wire configuration for main speakers, and Kimber 4TC to center and surround speakers; Kimber Silver Streak interconnects; and various other minor tweaks and room treatments. I think my system sounds pretty darned, and so do other people who listen to my system. The biggest limitation I face is the size of my listening room, which is also the living room. To the extent I can answer your question within your model, I'd say my system rates around an 80 on the price/performance curve. To do better, I'd first need a different listening room, and then would have to roughly triple what I've spent to realize a substantial gain in audio quality.

Follow-up to my post: I realized after I made the post that I forgot a very important item: the amplifiers. I am currently using a Bryston 4B-ST amp for the front speakers, and an Adcom 5503 for the center and rear surrounds. I am VERY impressed with the Bryston 4B-ST. At it's price, it offers a terrific value and fine performance, particularly with its 20-year unconditional and transferrable warranty. I did not want to spend top-dollar for the surround amp, since I only use my main speakers for critical listening. I am quite satisfied with the Adcom for surround amplification.

Gentlemen: a final point from me concerning bass reproduction. To accurately reproduce deep bass, you need a room about 32 feet in length, since that is the length of a 20hz soundwave. Not may rooms are that long. Beyond length, the width of the room and the height of the ceiling will contribute to the overall acoustic properties. If you have ever heard a large pipe organ in a cathedral (we are fortunate in the Seattle area to have a number of fine pipe organs), you also know that decay is an important factor, particularly in bass reproduction. So, at best, most people will never hear accurate, full-bodied bass in their homes. At best, it's an imitation of the real thing. What does this have to do with the question in this thread? A lot, since obtaining the theoretical 100 points is ultimately gone to depend more on your listening room than spending $50K or more on your system. Back to my original post: I still think that the $10-12K range will get you about 80-85 points, and to do much better will necessitate spending a lot more, on both equipment and acoustic environment.