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

These are great posts. I am using an old Bose Soundlink Revolve in my living room/dining room for news and dinner party background music and it is remarkably satisfying in a difficult environment with a lot of reflective surfaces. I could never get a high end system to work in that room to it’s full potential.

I have set up many small systems, and good sound is easy if you don’t want real bass. Good bass is expensive, and there is no real way around that. If you’re OK with everything above 50Hz, then there are many inexpensive systems you can assemble that will sound very good, if not great.

kn

Now that I'm retired  and I'm 72 ,my system that would add up to about $5,000.Will be my last system I think it sounds great. But I guess as far as audiogon guys think it not good at all.I think it sounds great and that's all that matters to me.

Wiim Amp and Klipsch Rp600M speakers work very well in the garage.

It's really hard to say, there are some great affordable pieces of gear out there and they're getting better and better as time goes on.  I would be happy with a $5000 integrated and a $3000 - $5000 set of speakers.  I'd get a decent streaming DAC and call it a day.  Maybe another $1000 - $2000 for that.

What I've woken up to is that I have accumulated a number of mid-tier gear that had I just saved my money, I could have bought a higher-end piece.  Then again, it's hard to know what you like or don't like unless you try a lot of things.  Thank God for used gear - at least I can sell this stuff without much loss.