lhasaguy thanks for another wise post...
I would posit that what we see if fairly comparing systems at a variety of budget constraints is that decent sound can be acquired at a modest cost, then you get into the audiophile marginal cost versus marginal gain debate that will never be resolved for all the known reason. Once you pass the point of five figures in your system, gains at the margin become ever thinner
Wise indeed and truthful for me....
Just a remark coming from my own experience with a 500 hundred dollars system... Way more low than 5 figure budget then...
My experience is that money generally dont necessarily buy an audiophile experience, rightful embeddings controls almost always did it ....
Because there is no reason an amplifier at any price will sound good in a non mechanically embedded audio system, in a high noise floor electrical grid house, and in a badly acoustically designed room....
Merry Christmas to you....