What's your profession? Age?

Interesting thread! I always thought people with $20k+ systems were wealthy MD/Biglaw/Exec type people, but there's a lot variety in professions here, although the middle-to-advanced-aged male stereotype seems to hold true. Now I don't feel so guilty with my relatively "modest" system. I should show my wife this thread, haha.

Me: 29 years old, "systems engineer" (computer) by title, sysadmin without the overblown label. Main rig is ~$11k retail, paid about $6.5k used. Bedroom system is $2700 retail, paid about half.

Then again, I upgraded to all this in the current year from a $1500 integrated/monitor setup while also getting married and having a baby, and my wife does not work, so maybe I should feel a touch of guilt. I think I'm done for a while though... except for maybe swapping gear that's lateral in price :D

I'm 45 and a finance director at an industrial firm. Two beautiful kids. I have a main system that retails for about $7k. Still upgrading but it sounds very good.

18 months ago I decided that I had better listen to all that music I had been putting off for years so I'm on a full-scale program, working my way through Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, moving gradually into his late period and will veer out of Austria and into France in the 19th-century for next year. Been listening to all kinds of music for 30+ years but wanted to be more systematic, which I'm finding to be a really interesting adventure. Just started getting into audiophile equipment a year ago after owning a decent mid-fi system and I have to wonder why I didn't do so earlier.

Now 65, and with my new insurance my hearing can be upgraded to where my $6000.00/$7000.00 system gets the attention it deserves. 35 years as a shipwright/cabinetmaker/furniture builder has brought me to building speakers for enjoyment, though the enjoyment of hundreds of live concerts as well as the sound levels produced by power tools makes every sound that is music more precious.

I'm 49 yrs.old, used to work in Radio (disc jockey at Jazz and rock n' roll stations, and also a news producer at a news/talk radio station for about 10 years). Got tired of spinning my wheels in the dirt, making shit money, working shit hours. Quit the broadcasting industry in 1990, went to work for U.P.S. as a package car driver. Better health benefits, WAY better money, paid vacations, and a pension plan. Never regreted leaving radio/tv. Almost retired now.
Been into music, and had audio systems since I was 10 or 11 yrs. old. Very passionate about music. So is the lovely wife. Got systems in EVERY SINGLE ROOM of my house. Including my garage and backyard to. Got a kickass home theater set up too. My dedicated 2 channel high end system (which is in it's own dedicated listening room in another part of my house), is kickass too. Got somewhere in the range of $150,000 to $200,000 between the gear, and all the room treatments and customizations.

I am a 55 year old executive with a heavy equipment company, and my 2 channel system is worth around $40,000 retail not including home theatre. Thanks to the internet, and a trip to Taiwan, I paid much less.