Is it really the system?

Bar81 said it well, our point of diminishing returns will always be personal.

I will add that the point of diminishing returns changes with circumstances for many of us. I, for instance, went for decades with a $10,000 system, that was very stable and satisfying. A big part of the reality of that system was that I wasn't otherwise comfortable financially. I was not saving as much as I wanted and I went through several severe financial stessors, so it didn't make sense to spend more, to me. (I rationed my available budget toward software).

Since, moving to my current employment, my savings has been growing at an exponential rate, as has my compensation. In 2007 I started upgrading, finally getting the "full range" speakers that I'd desired for decades. That was followed by a first class TT system. My compensation continued to grow, so the amp, ICs and CDP all got upgraded.

My investment is now triple where I started, but it represents no threat at all to my family or retirement comfort. I'll be buying a larger home in 2009, moving out of an apartment, so there will be an upgrade to a larger speaker system, probably, but I really think that I'll keep the other equipment static. We'll see,...of course.

Some people will put a hirer priority on their system sooner than I did mine. That's ligitimate. The only fear is to avoid obsession that can lead to spending money that needs to be spent elsewhere for the family and security. If your audio spending eats seriously into your food, housing and retirement budgets, then you need to make some changes, IMHO.

Dave

Most people do not have a goal. How can you, unless you have a comprhensive knowledge of what to do and when to do it?

Here's a secret, most gear is pretty damn good. The problems arise from room accoustics, quality of electricity, vibration control, and inut/output impedence mismatches. A $20K system that properly addresses all these issues will out perform $20K in components that does not

This question has been asked many times, and it is a profound one. If you are a 'hobbyist' or 'gear hound' you very well might be a materialist. Music is spiritual, and the matter associated with it (the laws of physics for example) is usurped into its inner meaning if it is indeed understood to be spiritual. If not, then it is just stuff. Art ain't that simple, and audio is about the delivery and appreciation of an artform: beauty is the goal.

Therefore, IMO, the issue is how we view our quest for the sublime, not the trails blazed along the way. If our view is an act of wonder and awe, then that is the experience we get. If it is just a hobby, then that is what we get.

I place my vote for the transcendental act of sound allowing me to glimpse that which is beyond my mind's capacities. However I have sympathy for the hobbyist to an alarming extent.

Cheers,
Dave

For now I am content. I’m 23, and will be going to grad school next year. I still want to travel and accomplish other goals in life. My humble Totem Arro speakers in my apartment dwelling satisfy all my inner urges for now. It allows me to focus and expand my knowledge of music—which in return allows me to expand my software collection. In five years time when I do have a career and the space, I will upgrade. For now I am in love with my system. Even when the time comes to upgrade, my Arro speakers will be put in a library or office setting.

Blindjim -- I enjoyed your audiophilic blank verse; the proper proportions of joy and frustration.
My feelings about our mutual obsession are similar to owning a beloved dog:
There is the constant feeding and the constant picking-up of poop. And the occasional visit to the Vet. But sometimes, just being in its presence makes you (or allows you to) smile. And sometimes spending a few minutes playing with it is enough to decompress your psyche and renew your spirit.