$10k Speaker Cables??????????????

I saw a Montblanc pen made in conjunction with Purdy shotguns ($100k for one of their guns is nothing). One of the higher level pens is priced at 120,000 pounds. I'm not sure what that is in US dollars. It is a very pretty pen. If you can buy a 120,000 pound sterling pen that will never touch paper, then $10,000 speaker cables are nothing at all. Nothing. And you don't have to be a billionaire for that type of luxury either.

I've heard, urban legend maybe, that there are Ferraris sitting unclaimed and covered in sand in Saudi Arabian airport parking lots. 

Those of us who are merely affluent have no idea what real big money is like.

@elizabeth : Don't forget to have them burned in before you buy them!

That's reason enough not to buy $10k cables and Ferraris - not to be associated in any way with those f*****s. And you don't need such an expensive gun for a bullet to go straight to the target.
Real money is earned money, my audiophile friend, but of course you already know it.

It all comes down to what you’re trying to achieve and what you can be happy 🤗 with - all things considered - including SR, your expendable resources and how much you have put into the game. I have a nagging suspicion, and trust me, I know a lot of audiophiles, many folks get a little carried away with the whole thing. Chasing the dragon. 🦎 Consumed by the fires of Ork. 😃 Geez, try to keep a little perspective. People! As Groucho Marx quipped when his guest told him she had eight children, I like my cigar but I take it out once in a while.

@inna : "That's reason enough not to buy $10k cables and Ferraris - not to be associated in any way with those f*****s."

Almost anyone on the street could look at your system and mine and say the exact same thing about us, right?

"And you don't need such an expensive gun for a bullet to go straight to the target."

First off, they're shotguns, so no bullets. Second, Purdy owners (I've know 1 or 2) will tell you there is a lot more to it than the trajectory of shot leaving the barrel. There is balance, feel, grip, momentum of swing, etc. (I've held a few of these guns and they mount and feel great in the hands). But, they are also handmade and of extremely high workmanship. They are also embellished with often elaborate hand engraving and checkering which is much appreciated by their owners and fans.

My point here is not to justify the cost to you ( I do not want and will never own one). The point is that all of these elements which we might consider a fetish are almost exactly analogous to the things audiophiles, even of a modest stripe, put so much emphasis on and pay so much money for. I suspect the Purdy owners I know would be shocked and amused that people pay $10,000 for a pair of speakers to listen to three guys crank on guitars, bass and a drum kit.

"Real money is earned money, my audiophile friend, but of course you already know it."

That's pretty much the only kind of money I've ever had but can't deny that my path in life has been blessed. So I'm not knocking inherited money either. And if a long lost uncle dies and leaves me a bank roll, I won't turn it down and I might even blow it on a $1000 DAC that to me sounds outrageous but to many if not most in this forum sounds like a compromise. ;-)