Did your system getting better the more money you spent or more experience you gained?

The fact that there is better gear than mine dont means that my optimized gear system cannot give me the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold....

When you get this MINIMUM acoustic qualities level you forgot sound so immersive music is...

If you cannot get it with a relatively low cost system , it is either a bad synergetical choice of gear pieces or it is a lack in the mechanical,electrical and acoustical workings controls...

I dont need to learn to be happy with my low cost system BECAUSE it is well chosen well embedded system under my control, then my system makes me happy and  then it is not a stopgap i am in the obligation to live with... No frustration in me  , on the opposite , i pity many who give away more money for not really better sound... And trust me they were numerous...My system value is 1000 bucks...

Knowledge is key not price tag...

Better gear is not the key, but knowing how to use any system at any price at his optimal level is...

Acoustics dont change his principles, nor the mechanical and electrical science  because we upgrade a piece of gear...Any piece of gear must be optimized at any price... No speakers beat their room and they all suffer from resonance ... No amplifiers can replace the electrical grid of the house...No interconnect can work without picking interferences ... Etc  Then adress that BEFORE upgrading ...And call that the key....

There will always be something better than you have. Once you think yo’ve got there you’ll bet bored and want more. Learn to be happy with what you have.

@skinzy i agree with you. I’m now at that point. Can I get better maybe but at what cost.  I got synergy because of all my electronics gear and cabling are from the same company. Built on eliminating noise and providing clean musical power and music performance.  I have a great speaker that I researched extensively before I bought.  I even saw what other things the designer did before I bought them.  Gato in Denmark. I’m happy. Infigo electronics and cables. Gato Speakers. Rel subwoofers.  Happy! 

Question’s a bit of a red herring since it’s not all encompassing of what can provide satisfaction (money vs. learning) in a playback setup. Both of those factors are inextricably linked to time, so they’re also not mutually exclusive, which some other posts did mention.

A better system is a product of how satisfied you are with it. Is it too strange of me to say anyone should be able to get there without large expense OR an engineer’s / marketeer’s knowledge of audio kit?

To me, smart devices that stream into affordable IEM’s are “better” in so many ways. High-end stereo kit and the folks who’ve come and gone along with it have been fun for me, but to be honest, to me the “better” system would be one far more modest than my present setup. Dang. Stupid love of live music paving the way for over-budgeting and learning superfluous technical info… 😅

@benanders we all have different budgets, experiences and mindsets. Get to where you are happy and enjoy the music. 

Good attitude. I’m there, have been for a few years now. Just wish that, like many people in this world, it had taken far less to tick that box for me. 😉