Did a satisfaction threshold exist under 1000 bucks ?


Is there a minimal/optimal subjective and also objective threshold of minimal satisfaction ?
 
If so, many upgrade chasing may seems like a dog chasing his tail....😁
 
I just live through one of this upgrading  event...
 
My system is very good, and when i tried to upgrade it , it was more a curiosity about the new amplifier than a real need...
 
But keep in mind that my system is 700 bucks for all components... My upgrade trying cost 1000 bucks...😁
 
Anyway i myself think that there is objective acoustic factors that define good sound, and when these factors are there on this threshold line , most upgrade are a change not always for the better  not an improvement...
 
Am i alone who live throught this ? am i alone to be satisfied by under 1000 bucks system, headphone and speakers dac and amplifier included ?😁
 
For sure i listen alone... Many had wife and friends listening with them... This implicate costlier system able to accomodate a room , not headphone or small speakers for one in an acoustic corner for one ...
Anyway am i alone in acoustic bliss with under 1000 bucks system ?
 
 
128x128mahgister

agreed @mahgister the system without basic understanding of these principles may as well be a JBL pill

Interesting to see where Elac goes now that A Jones is long gone...I realize they've been around a long time, and I believe have a separate design team for their sold in Europe speakers...

@jl35 ...It looks like they've accomplished their mission, i.e., Strategically hire a big name like AJones to make themselves known in the North American market.... They were practically unknown in NA prior to that. They've been selling an enormous amount of speakers to hometheater dudes in NA as well since he also designed matching center channels, atmos speakers, etc in addition to his hifi speakers. North America has always been the biggest market for hometheater due to larger size of houses, basement spaces, etc. Hifi guys buy 2 speakers...Home theater dudes buy 12! 😁

 

I am now happy with the tube preamplifier P2 of Douk... I use it for my active speakers...

Astounding , better holography and the tone controls are useful to maximise the speakers sound ... Peanuts cost... No downside for me ...

I use the Fosi sk1 for my AKG K701 for movie essentially ... Same thing no downside ...

The low cost chinese product are not all junk ... Many compare well and for a better price sometime than Schiit products for example or other european products ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKdv7C5KcPY&t=10s

They are not high end if we define high end product by price tags ...

But nevermind the price , any gear system need to be optimized mechanically, electrically and acoustically to reach his implicit acoustic potential contribution..

Then i quit these triple misleading distinction between high end, mid-fi, and low-fi or chi-fi , which are very deceptive on many counts ...

The only valuable and objective description is by comparing acoustic factors , each one of them as balanced or not once compared to the others factors contribution in the creation of the soundfield impression , being transients, dynamics, timbre , bass , imaging, holography , immersiveness etc..

Then the only valuable distinction is between after and before the necessary triple optimization process is this question : with this low cost system, with what i own have i reach the minimal acoustic threshold of satisfaction or not ? Or with this highly costlier system , have i reach the maximum acoustical satisfaction threshold ...

In the two case the minimal as the maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold , we are happy and not at all in a stop-gap phase...

But if our system is not well embedded nor well optimized acoustically , mechanically and electrically , nevermind his price , the unbalance between acoustics factors and parameters will induce frustration and unhappinness ...

Then classifying systems between low-fi, mid fi and high fi , not only is deceptive but hide the real and necessary optimization process by the illusion of the costlier the better ... It is false ...

All that to say i am in ectasy with my low cost tube pre-amp ...

In a minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold for sure , but the minimum well done is enough to be no more frustrated at all  believe me ...

The ratio S.Q. / better price is the meter of success but also the creativity you had invested in the optimization process ....

I almost pity those who had invested too much without reaching satisfaction ...