The law of diminshing returns?

DACs, turntables (not including carts & phono stages), and cables are perhaps the best subjects for diminishing returns. The "extravagance tier" models employ absurd over-engineering plus gimmicks to justify their cost. These models will certainly sound different to more modest alternatives - some cite "diminishing returns" while implying that sonic differences decrease towards zero as price rises; that’s absolutely not the case. This stuff really sounds different. But does it actually produce better sound as you move up? Or just different sound, that only some will like better? The rate of audiophile disagreements, on forums like this one, heavily implies the latter.

At the end of the day, the mastering still dominates - over DACs and turntables - how pleasing we find the resulting sound quality. That’s the #1 source of diminishing returns here. 

DACs are funny because they started out as a pure engineering challenge (and a very tough one at that), so most DAC chips at their core, even going back decades, are quite well engineered, accurate solutions. It’s up to hifi companies to think up wild Rube-Goldberg-esque solutions to bolt on top of and around that. With turntables it’s all about selling the "gimmick" and then showing off how much you’ve over-engineered for that. Then as audiophiles we endlessly try to rationalize why we like some models over others - whether our reasoning has and basis in reality or not, it gives us something to do :)

IMHO the law of diminishing returns applies to those who have limited financial resources to spend on audio gear, while still trying to get the best sound that they can for their audio dollar.  

For those who have what is essentially endless financial resources, they can afford whatever audio gear they desire, while enjoying this hobby at a level that most  of us can only dream about. 

As always, this is just my subjective opinion and should thus be taken with a grain of sand. 😊

It is not the Manufacturer or the Sales Support adopted by the Manufacturer that creates the concept of diminishing returns.

It is solely the Customer who is responsible for bringing such a condition of not much gain in a performance for a substantial increase in cost for a Product over another Product that offers a little less.

his is even more prominent as a condition when a Customer is remaining loyal to a Brand.

Investigating alternate Brands or alternate methods to acquire a Product , where there is an intention to acquire a product that offers a particular function within the audio system. Will expose the Purchaser to products more that are capable of being extremely impressive.

Even as impressive or surpassing the impression where the option to Purchase is to remain Brand Loyal and upgrade within the Brand.

The Vendor has zero control over a Purchasers Pocket Book, but does have their methods to persuade one to seriously consider purchasing a product.

In today's market place, and the lack of access to demo' products, it is only when the Purchaser has parted with an amount of monies, that they are able to learn whether they got ' great bang for their buck ' or have created a sale that is a ' pig in a poke '.

One thing remains a certainty, the Products being produced could easily be deselected as a Purchase Item, by a customer who expressed their interes.

IMHO the law of diminishing returns applies to those who have limited financial resources to spend on audio gear, while still trying to get the best sound that they can for their audio dollar.  

For those who have what is essentially endless financial resources, they can afford whatever audio gear they desire, while enjoying this hobby at a level that most  of us can only dream about. 

As always, this is just my subjective opinion and should thus be taken with a grain of sand. 😊

The principle (not a law) of diminishing returns apply to everyone at any price level why ?

Because this principle emerge from the distance separating subjective  and objective acoustical gear evaluation in a room by some specific ears and the objective/subjective qualitative evaluation of the material gear design level in some acoustical and  system context...

 Then it is preposterous to describe this principle as a fate pertaining to low budget perspective versus rich audiophiles...

The principle apply to all for any system/room...Ignorance of it come with a price to pay...

For sure this principle as a meter and as a measure  is relative then not absolute...But it exist for all ...