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

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. 

I Want to pay 15,000 bucks max...

Even if i had a billion in my bank account..

Why ?

Because i know what i am doing and why i do it...

I know exactly which components will give me the best optimal S.Q. /low price ratio in the world right now for the least of money...

If you dont know where you must go and why, you then throw money at high price tag because with ignorance of basic acoustic concept and no experience and experiments with it, you dont know what to do first, save throwing money at costly components which had enough good reviews and are the costlier one...

I did not and will not do that... All my components will be chosen for specific acoustic reason first...not for esthetic or brand name but for their probable acoustic delivery in relation with the headphone or the speakers/room chosen...

But i am now with headphone ... I will pick the two other components for optimizing the specific headphone i own... I will not replace my 100 bucks headphone for any other at any price...Or perhaps i will upgrade with the orpheus Sennheise at 55,000 bucks to make people envious...But it is way over my 15,000 bucks dreamed and top of the world system... i am not even sure that the Orpheus will be better on ALL acoustic factors... At this price i will not upgrade to experience  an improvement on most acoustic factor except one or two... 😊

@mahgister

Ok. You are completely calibrated for your income level. You completely understand the sound quality / price levels and understand the optimal point. Now, say, your income level and savings quadruples.

So, do you seriously mean to say you don’t change your buying behavior? No. BS. Absolutely not. You can pontificate as much as you want, give as much to charity as you want… but you are going to realize that the X sounds better and will only cost you .1% more of your income.

Sorry. But your income is one of the two key determinates of the sq/value equation. If you really love sound quality and your income goi]es up, so does your carefully calculated equation of sq/price. This is the way humans work.