Is there a ceiling limit on what you are willing to pay for an audio component?

What your wallet can afford.  Or 10% of your salary will be the disposable income.

In hindsight and with my last few purchases, yes.

In the late 1980s I came across some audiophiles at work that were into modifying vintage gear for good sound.  I cashed out my Yamaha gear and got an ARC SP-6b preamp which I then had upgraded with new wiring, resistors, volume pot and gold RCA plugs.  That lead to mods for my turntable, amp and speakers.  I built a dedicated listening room with dedicated power and enjoyed my music.  Sound per dollar was the goal in our little audio group.

Then one day in the late 1990s my designer at work invited me over to his place to hear his system.  He had worked for years in a hifi shop.  Hearing his system was a revelation for me.  After several hours he had to almost pick me up and push me out the door.  His system, I remember it like yesterday was Wilson Watt/Puppy 6, Mark Levinson Amps, preamp and CD Player with MIT cabling throughout and a Carbon Fiber audio shelf.  That’s the day sound per dollar went out the window for me.  After years of longing I have achieved sonic bliss- for now…

Perfection is an asymptotic function.  Hifi is a good example of that.  It seems like cost doubles to get a noticeable improvement in sound- with a few exceptions .  It’s  always a choice between living without better sound or without money. 

@tonywinga 

Great story. 
 

I think most of us that have been spurred on to chase the very best possible have a story of two of when we heard something that was just so far above what we thought possible that it has inspired us and left a lasting impression. Me to.