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What Do You Get When You Spend Megabucks?

It's my opinion that you could put together a high quality system for about $7,500 (MSRP). For those willing to spend more, great systems can be put together for $20,000 to $50,000. I don't think anyone could seriously question the overall quality of these latter systems, but they would in no way approach the state of the art. My question is, what's that something extra you get when you're willing to push the limits as to what is possible in home sound reproduction and spend major dollars (say $250,000+) on a single system? Another way of asking my question is, what do $80,000 speakers do that $15,000 speakers don't?

My question is a serious question and I have no ax to grind one way or another. I have significant experience with components that cost in the $3,000 to $15,000 range, but not much with products costing more. I'm very interested in hearing from those people who have made that rather large financial commitment to music reproduction.
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czbbcl's avatar
czbbcl
1,752 posts
 
stehno and herman have said it most eloquently.

C-
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I know I'm in no position to answer this, and I think few here are. Brainwater is the only member I can think of off the top of my head that may be able to answer. I love his gazebo-jacuzzi system. He has $70,000 speakers, $26,000 speakers, $7,000 speakers and more. I would think that the answer would be the same as the answer you would get if you took 1 (0) off the end of all your numbers. For instance, many here would be able to tell you what difference a $8000 speaker makes over a $1500 speaker. I feel the answer would sound similar, just the numbers change.

Cheers,
John
wildoats
339 posts
 
IMHO very little. You do have to spend close to $10,000 retail to get REAL high end equipment. Used, maybe $5000. There is a level you have to reach, after that it's all individual preference. Then as Edainwestoc said, most improvement will come from bettering your room acoustics. I'm not one who thinks you need to spend anymore than this to be totally satisfied, unless money is no object, or your nuts.
audiobugged
528 posts
 
Megaheadaches?
Megawalletfatigue?
Megabragingrights?

$80,000 speakers sales keep their distributors driving $80,000 automobiles.
buscis2's avatar
buscis2
468 posts
 
She should at least be able to cook.
edainwestoc
19 posts
 
I view this as a law of dimishing returns. Its a camel back hump curve where the return on investment decreases after a price point.

What I don't quite get is the propensity to spend obscene amounts on the system without paying equivalent attention to the listening room. Spending a significant proportion on the room itself (perhaps a dedicated well treated room) would yield better results than megabuck amps and/or cables.

Just My Opinion...
tubino
24 posts
 
100% ego gratification and a small but real improvement for the very perceptive and appreciative audiophile and music lover.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
screwed.
herman
2,253 posts
 
"This is a hobby that requires one to spend a lot of money to realize one does not need to spend a lot of money."

"A lot of money" is very relative. The MSRP of my system is a hell of a lot of money to me, and more than most people make in a year, but others spend more on a two vacation without thinking about it.

I do agree with the statement to a point, but I have yet to hear a cheap set of speakers that doesn't sound like a cheap set of speakers. I think you can find good sounding electronics and for sure cables on the lower end of the scale that approach the megabuck pieces, but not speakers.

Might be because the manufacturer of the speakers know they sound better than average and charge according to the sound quality, not the manufacturing cost.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
That's a good question. My response would be; It's all to easy to spend $150k to $250k and end up with a system that sounds like a decent $5000 system.

As a friend told me a few years ago, "This is a hobby that requires one to spend a lot of money to realize one does not need to spend a lot of money."

To a certain degree this statement may apply to many hobbies and passions, but it pertains perhaps more to this particular hobby because the spending can be endless and the results so subjective and minute.

-IMO
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