Does upgrading you system have to be on a logarithmic curve?

i can't comment, can't find my slide rule 😂

My system  runs about $40K, so I can’t comment about benefits that might accrue if I went into the level that some here have.  I do know that at my level any change that I make tends to be a lateral move.  At first the new component sounds like an improvement, but eventually I realize that it is just doing something in a different way, and I start to miss what has been lost with the change.  I suspect that I would have to leap into a bracket that I just don’t want to ascend into.

  I suspect the logarithmic view applies more to digital.  My bias is that well built digital is so good that not much more can be obtained by pumping more money into the source.  Analog however might repay greater expenditures, as more resources translate into overcoming the limitations of analog.  Overbuilt massive  turntables are bettor at suppressing vibrations for example.

Most of my equipment I've bought at deep discount, either new or ex-demo.

I built my first real hi-end system during the 1998 crash then built another during the 2008 crash.

EUR,GBP and JPY are at very low discounts to the USD now and anything you buy in Europe and the UK will have an additional 20% VAT deducted for export. Most gear can be easily re-configured for different voltages.

Cables don't wear out and popular brand names provide excellent value, even though they are expensive.

Find a dealer who'll treat you well and appreciate your repeat business and upgrades, they've always got demo gear they want to sell.

Great sounding audio gear was built in past decades. That's what I buy and use! Present day stuff has little appeal.