Law of Diminishing Returns; where does it kick in?

Simply divide the system cost by Sound Quality Units to obtain the Diminishing Returns number. 

Any number under 10 is a poor system
Any number under 1 is a better system
Any number under .1  is SOTA 

The key to an accurate assessment is proper measurement of Sound Quality Units.   ;)

subject personal audio history.........( - o + ) ...........history audio industry object




The " ( - " are the left subjective side and " +) " right objective side of the " bias zone" where the returns are related to a balance between subjective impressions and to objective engineering progress...

The "o" is the center bias zone where the returns are impossible to really assess or calculate with clear subjective or objective points....




We all at some moment in time reach the center point " o " where no progress is sensible, for reason linked to our own limitations (hearing personal history) or to our incomplete methods of embeddings that makes impossible evaluation of the audio system Parts and Whole in term of S. Q. or in term of money....


The most important point in my post is the consciousness that the rightful embeddings methods (mechanical,electrical,acoustical) and our own listening history are the unbeknowst factors that play much a role....Not only the cost of the gear like some think superficially....

The point of diminishing returns end to be a fixed point for each of us in particular, but begins like a variable point in general ....

Used gear, eight-to-ten years old.

I have not spent a lot on audio gear and I have a very nice sounding system or two. But I have heard the big systems and there is no comparison. If you want to run with the big dogs you have to spend some big dough. Diminishing returns, maybe that's a thing but it takes big bucks to get to the top levels. Same as any other thing one might do. 

P.S. However you can put together a very good system that most people would find extraordinary for the price of a modest car.  

P.S. However you can put together a very good system that most people would find extraordinary for the price of a modest car.  

My system put to shame most of what i listen to for 500 bucks...

 The key is the mechanical, electrical and acoustical working dimensions embeddings controls NOT the price of the gear at all....

Consumerism is not audio.... Acoustic is.....