How cheap can you go and still be happy with the sound?

Let's not be ridiculous. Good sound has a cost and it should. I don't think there is anything under $10k-$15k that would qualify. Assuming one source.

I am a Linn fan with multiple active room corrected systems….put a jbl bar 700 in my new guest house.  For $/650 easy peasy good sound with no wires at all on rears so can take out on porch for evening stereo. Also have quad outdoor speakers definitive technology on the dock powered by Yamaha and sounds good.  Getting old helps but the original is still exceptional 

Let’s not be ridiculous. Good sound has a cost and it should. I don’t think there is anything under $10k-$15k that would qualify. Assuming one source.

@inna I totally understand that..., but, frankly or somehow, i either managed to lower my expectations on scale, etc while sitting nearfield.....or maybe, it has to do with the fact that an enormous amount of recordings to this day can be traced back to some Yamaha monitor....not too sure, but, it sounded quite good/was enjoyable for charity price.

@inna I usually agree with or at least acknowledge your contributions, but this seems a bit out of touch. $10-$15K minimum for "good" sound? Nah. My system now’s total cost is about $4500 and sounds much better than my previous $12K system.

But on a more important note, I’m also blissfully happy listening to music in my classroom system played on a Craigslist-bought Technics SL-B30 ($45) with a new AT85 cartridge ($39) and belt ($12) played through a Schiit Mani ($99) into AudioEngine A5+ speakers (also CL - $129).

Let us presume that this is an enthusiast forum and a lot of us have some ’over the top’ gear.

On the topic of speakers, my observation has been that one needs a huge room and has to be listening at rocketship level spls to truly "get their money’s worth" with the flagship speakers, for example...Infinity IRS, the big Schweikerts, Borresen or even my former TAD Reference, etc. Otherwise, their potential just feels unused.

At rocketship level spls on dense tracks, they can continue to retain their composure and fidelity levels. But, I certainly don’t wanna go deaf and I’ve never had the type of ceiling heights, etc that do them justice.

For example, i always felt that PS Audio’s ’reference room’ was too small for those big infinity speakers.

Another example, there is a guy on YouTube sitting around with 'over the top' flagship gear (you know who) in a repurposed garage with his back right next to the wall (facepalm).

After scaling down with the ’below flagship’ level, their potential feels maximized with the rooms i have and spl levels I listen at (On that note, i still probably listen louder than most guys on this forum).