AUDIO PRICE INSANITY PRICE VS. PERFORMANCE WORTH IT?

I think we start at a certain place finanacially and sometimes the chase presents opportunities to spend more.  Sometimes you get better gear when you do. However, better gear and the RIGHT gear for your system can be two different things.  You have to play the matching game extremely well. 

If you hear something that really rocks your boat and you can afford it, or may someday save up for it, then get it, no problem.  If you haven't heard "the magic" but just have to have a new shiny object, then you're not interested in music.  I heard someone's stereo with a pair of Spica Angelus speakers and he swore by them.  I went home and put music on a pair of Sonus Fabers I had (bought used but still over $4k), and they KILLED those Spicas DEAD.  I am NOT a snob- anyone could have heard what I heard that day.  I was not rude to my friend, but SERIOUSLY, this guy refused to buy a more refined system even though he could easily afford it.  I saved up and bided my time, and got what I HEARD was very very good gear over 25 some odd years.  I am not an expert- a few select dealers are, but "you can hear" a superb piece of gear 9 times out of 10 and it's not difficult. The rule about huge speaker systems does hold though.  Buy a quality system that can pressurize your room, and call it a day.  But if you have to have a great tube amp for your string-quartet collection, be my guest.  Just beware of irrational-crazy people who are hobbyists with a vast collection of disco.

When you find the pure sound, mostly on retro systems, you can sit back and enjoy the sweet tone which flows through every room even at low volume.
I recently took my 4 way speakers off and replaced with a pair of AR8's..ZAR900 for a pair of qsc/t drivers with an inch of smooth paper on the outer gave amazing mid range, the tweeters are so sweet,,not overpowering...running a HK5000, RDP980 AND RDD980.
The complete system cost less than USD1000.

Everything completely reworked by yours truly.
Took a few days, complete re-solder and clean up.
I have had many nad systems, they are also pure and one never gets tired of listening.
Guess i am content now!

Set-up. An expertly set up $30K system will trounce a megabuck system set up by an airhead. 

That said, the best parts cost money. By that I mean parts that are better in ways known to physics, not hyper-relativistic black hole refractory spirals (apologies if someone has already trademarked this - I sin in ignorance).

You simply can't fake nude Vishay resistors or vacuum capacitors or air bearings. Once you've heard them, there is no going back - and it doesn't matter how much can be spent on overhyped gear du jour, which uses such parts sparingly, if at all. And won't be set up correctly anyway.