AUDIO PRICE INSANITY PRICE VS. PERFORMANCE WORTH IT?


What do you y’all think? I have 30k into my system and I recently attended AXPONA 2018. I compared what I heard to what I have. I felt my system compared to the 80 to 100k systems quite well. Matching is important. Also your reference point. Any thoughts yall?  
calvinj

With right around 6k-15k used well and covering the whole system, a person should easily be able to blow away an audio trade show presentation. It's all about the method of listening used.

Michael Green

www.michaelgreenaudio.net

"Myself, I collect and use the best vintage gear from the Golden Age of High End - 1965 - 85! That was when the most innovative (and affordable!) stuff was made! Since then prices have only risen for NO real advances in sound quality!"

This is an overlooked truth many times (I would go as far as stretching it to 1990). When HEA got into the selling revolving door of components and speakers the selection of "being able to play a wide range collection" dropped dramatically. Whenever you see a music playback excuse for not being able to play a recording you know something isn't right. And as roberjerman said right around 1985 there was a ceiling hit. Not so much with less expensive products but certainly with the over built ones.

Simplicity is coming back with a vengeance.

Michael Green

www.michaelgreenaudio.net

"High priced audio gear is just a trophy for high rollers! If you've got it, flaunt it!"

Sorry I just don't agree.  Audiophiles that I know don't tell anyone how much their system cost. Many of us enjoy our system's by ourselves or with a significant other. People who aren't into this hobby don't know Magico from speakers XXX. 
Calvinj - I downscaled from a large Krell /Dynaudio system to an OTL tube system, and for me, this works great. I have looked for used quality components and upgraded from there. It is sad that part of the audio gear becomes over-priced, but it is also a consequence of being small niche. Prices are of course unreliable, what matters is the testing of the component, preferably with your own ears.
My listening room is worse than a trade show room.  I was able to listen past that. Background.  I just spent the last 10 years  on a hyper search for the best gear. Me and 3 of my friends have heard the best.  I listened to a 750k system in a perfect acoustical enviorment. Raidho came to his home listening cottage along with solutions and set it all up with measurements etc.  He used ansuz cabling. He actually had 3 different high end systems 3 years at a time and I spent substantial time with it.  I and my friends have also had Veloce, allnic, Sonus Faber, Vienna acoustics, revel, rel, audio research, high fidelity, cables, Mit, kr audio, mark Levinson, Gato audio, esoteric, MIT, Clarity Cables, kimber cables, atlas cables, Tara labs, classe, Marantz, soulutions, Resonessence labs, Sony, Ayon, dynaudio, Melco, Lumin, esoteric, focal, rogue, Melco, Hegel, oppo, Clarus Cables, McIntosh, musical fidelity, luxman, Bryston. First I would like to say because of system matching and the research I have personally put in. A 10k beating my system is possible but highly unlikely. I think there a people who haven’t heard the best gear so the reference point they have is limited.  What I have found is there is an improvement once you get around that 10k Mark is substantial. I’m not saying you can’t get great sound with less but 10k is a great price point.  When you get to 25k and up you usually get better technology based improvements. Usually soundstage, transparency, lower noise floors, dynamics, bass performance, treble performance. I think once you get past that there is the 60k and up systems. They are a different animal IF THEY ARE DONE CORRECTLY AND MATCHED PROPERLY. ALL OF THIS DEPENDS ON IF YOU MATCH YOUR EQUIPMENT, ROOM, CABLING AND SOURCES PROPERLY. I’m not asking people to agree with me these are just things based on my last 10 years of independent research. Your experiences are probably different. I think I did in 10 what it takes most of us 25 years to do.  I have had access to a lot of gear cabling and listening enviorments. My system is currently up on my Facebook page. I’m proud of it and after I listen to higher priced gear I don’t come home disappointed with my gear. The best system I’ve heard was the late Dave Baskin of design Audio video. He had raidho 5.1 with all solutions electronics and ansuz cabling. It was about 700k retail but it was truly the AUDIO MATRIX AND TWILIGHT ZONE. For that money it should have been. Yes it kicked any systems a** ever and I never want to hear something that good again cause I was about to foam at the mouth. Anyway my Gato FM6 speakers, KR Audio va900, Resonessence Mirus Pro, clarity Cables, high fidelity reveal cables, atlas mavros, Sony es5400 modwright, Melco server system ticks all my personal boxes and kicks a**. You can find your path cheaper or more expensive. You ear is your ear. I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of high price gear is better but you can spend less and get to a better place if you match your gear, have great cabling and sources and put it in the right acoustical enviorment. Just my thoughts based on my 10 years and all the brands and systems I’ve heard.