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Moderately priced audio

So I have been a audiophile for 40 years and in that time I have seen and owned a huge amount of equipment. Lately I have been reading Sterephile magazine and attended the last 2 years of Axpona. My question is what about the people that love the craft and get tremendous joy out of their audio systems that are in the $2-5K price range. Are they to be ignored? I know this hobby holds a lot of enthusiasm by people that have great sounding systems of new and vintage gear that they are proud of and enjoy listening to. While I appreciate the sound and the technology of the systems that cost more than a house I think there is a slice of enthusiast that are silent. Back in the 70s I worked at a stereo store that your average person came in and spent $600-$1000 and got a good sounding system. And we sold a lot of them. Seems a lot less interest today. Could it be the price of what you see in magazines and shows? I am curious to see if you people are out there that love the music and get great joy out of listening to your moderately priced audio equipment. Feel free to share what you have. I know you are out there. 
schmitty1
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,781 posts
 
So you spent the same "Hours and Minutes" and got a heck of a lot more!
joejoe
69 posts
 
Been reading comments. Several questions. First, Millercarban  what are these $2500, $1200 systems you put together for several impressed and happy people. Please point us in a starting point direction.

So many talk speak of great inexpensive systems that sound killer, and leave use wandering as to what the system is. What the heck, a little more info please.
Don't mean to ramble just my 2¢.
jdub071
71 posts
 
My small room vinyl setup:ELAC Debut B6 speakers $180 on amazon open box warehouse sale, Emotiva Bas-X A-150 amp $240 open box on amazon, Emotiva PT-100 Preamp $300, Audio-Technica ATLP 7 direct drive turntable$360 Amazon open box, Nagaoka MP110 cart $120, Sony CD changer $18.00 w/Sr. discount at Goodwill, Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer $70.00 Amazon open-box for a grand total of $1288. Sounds pretty good to my tired old ears.
desktopguy
367 posts
 
There are countless "budget" components out there (some are truly excellent) & excellent systems can be assembled from them.

I've subscribed to T.A.S. & Stereophile for ~35 years, also some other publications that came & went. Generally print media focus on larger/more expensive gear, multi-channel & audio/video, or both. Neither really helps me much.

But that's OK. I found many other sources for information online. Besides, I love music, always have--that's a constant motivator to maintain at least one audio system that really works for my ears. This is my life & I'm living it, no matter how crazy expensive things get out there...
buckhorn_cortez
81 posts
 
Your 1970, $1,000 system is about $7,000 today.  I would venture that if you spend your $7,000 carefully, you can easily get a system that sounds better than the 1970 $1,000 system. 

I started out in 1970 with a system that cost about $700 - and that included a Dual turntable, 35 watt stereo amplifier, TEAC 10-inch reel-to-reel.  I built the speakers myself.

Today, that $700 system is the equivalent of about $4700.

The first job I got after graduating from college in 1971 paid $9,000.  With some bonuses the first year I made about $11,000.  Doesn't sound like much does it?  Well, in today's dollars that's equal to $70,000.

What I'm suggesting is that you have to adjust your budget thinking. The "low cost" systems of the 1970's, in reality, represent a larger amount of money spent that the "low cost" dollar amount sounds.
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