Thanks...

Our satisfaction level reflect an objective threshold of perception and knowledge a limited one but a real one ...

It is generally way less costlier to learn acoustic and mechanical and electrical embeddings than to purchase an upgrade ...

The objective/subjective extended zone of diminushing returns contain our own potential ENDING POINT of objective/subjective diminishing returns in the ratio perceived S.Q. versus the money invested ......

The search for perfection reflect often a subjective illusion when focussed merely on the gear design search by itself instead of focussing on the necessary learning of the way to embed each components optimally and synergetically in the system/desk/room/house/ ears BEFORE upgrading if we are not satisfied at this point ...

If you search externally from your room acoustic experience with what you already own without optimizing it electruically , mechanically and especially acoustically, and if you look for "the very best sound you can find" from a mere piece of gear you will fall in all probability  for the bottomless pit of perfection marketing trap instead of touching the relative ceiling of your acoustical satisfaction point...

Then the bottom up approach is the only one compatible with a real learning/experimenting journey...The top down approach is good for customers with no budget limits and no time to invest in the learning of acoustic and electrical and mechanical basis...

Comparing "the sound" of separated components by upgrading is not a real acoustic learning but a consumers relative  learnings about different branded names... We dont learn what is "timbre" and soundstage and imaging and holography and dynamic and transients or about the sound sources dimensions (ASW)and the listener envelopment (LV) in acoustic experience by mere purchasing but by experimenting in our room with what we already have ...

Interesting- the OP approached it from the bottom up seeking a minimum amount to satisfaction, while my journey was top down by listening to very best sound I can find, then try to replicate with the least amount if sonic compromises but within my budget…which often slips

@mahgister ”…It is generally way less costlier to learn acoustic and mechanical and electrical embeddings than to purchase an upgrade ...”.

Sure… but It really depends on your lifestyle. When I was working I typically worked more than sixty hours a week for the half time I was not out of the country. I made good money in my career… what I did not have was time. So, while I enjoyed extensive research while traveling… there was simply no reason not to buy good quality equipment.

You are perfectly right... If i was in your shoes and situation i would have act exactly as you did...And i will own the audio system you painstakingly assemble over decades which is a high end top one ...😊

But I had no money and some time to spend in audio studies after retirement...It was a luck too...my luck... Then i faced this hobby more from the bottom up than from top products upside down , by the fate of  my situation and limits in money..

But many people are very limited in their budget as i was and had time to do research in audio and acoustics etc .. I spoke for them...

i never claimed that my satisfying audio systems compare in actual  quality to yours...I only claimed that mechanical, electrical, and acoustical embeddings control put a relatively low cost well chosen system on a level of minimal satisfaction which would have been impossible with only these low cost components without their optimization... Your high cost system also as you already know had benefit from acoustical, mechanical and electrical embeddings control  in a huge way if you had done your job right ...I think you had reading your posts..

For me musical and acoustical satisfaction is possible passed some minimal or optimal threshold...After that exist different quality levels of experience for sure but at very high cost compared to the minimal acoustic satisfaction threshold with a specific system of relatively low cost or the optimal one with any system at any cost ...

Here 2 videos which perfectly explain my position and experience:

High end audio, is it really better ? Steve Huff opinion and experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMO-rZUUq7Q&t=962s

Why Steve Huff sold his end games audio components ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDUQaqZRpnU

@mahgister ”…It is generally way less costlier to learn acoustic and mechanical and electrical embeddings than to purchase an upgrade ...”.

Sure… but It really depends on your lifestyle. When I was working I typically worked more than sixty hours a week for the half time I was not out of the country. I made good money in my career… what I did not have was time. So, while I enjoyed extensive research while traveling… there was simply no reason not to buy good quality equipment.

@mahgister 

👍

My wife and I were supposed to be in Cape Cod visiting her mother this week, but my wife caught COVID on the plane coming back from Europe.  The weather here in the Midwest is glorious right now.  I had already taken the week off, so I am hanging outside on the back deck to get away from her and catching upon on some work on the laptop.  I have a Sony Bluetooth Speaker that cost around $250 that picked up for less than half of that at one of the online discount sites.  It blows the pants off the ancient B&W Patio speakers.  I played a couple of different versions of Beethoven Pastoral Symphony yesterday, just perfect music to accompany the day, and it was heavenly.  So yes, one can achieve Audio Nirvana on the cheap if all the stars are aligned