At the top of the line is it really all that different?
I'm writing about my experience with the top of the line bespoke gear. Not the insane one-of a kind that I'll never own but the really good stuff that say $50K each will buy.
I have listened to my personal favorite ARC vs. D'Agistino, vs. Bryston vs. Pass vs. the top Macs (no love lost there). Wilson vs. Sonus, vs. Magico vs. Bryston T-10 vs. Maggies (!) vs. Perlisten.
So many cables that I can't recall the names.
I can tell a difference between the voicing of the products at my dealer but the difference is so subtle that in my home they are "nearly" identical. ( I know, I know but I said "nearly")
I read reviews with all the silly superlatives that make the reviewed item sound heavenly and the "other guys" sound like the AM radio in my '67 Mustang.
I have had my ears checked and my audio sensitivity is "age appropriate" I'm 62.
I have 2 listening rooms- one is a dedicated properly treated room and one is a barn sized great room with anterooms on 3 sides. In my dedicated room I'm all alone with my music which can be really lovely but not often visited vs. the great room with my dogs, kids, and wife. I don't do critical listening there but I love full beautiful sound when the ones I love most are near.
So, I would really appreciate thoughtful guidance to my quandary- is top end gear crowding at the top of the pyramid with very little difference? Are the glowing reviews colored or even deceptively presented? Or maybe I'm growing weary of very little cost/benefit improvements as I climb the audio ladder .....please advise.
). From my experience, there is no reason to spend more than 15-25k on an entire system. The most important things I do are make sure a new component, cable, etc., introduced in my system is truly better sounding than what I am replacing. The second thing I have found is that keeping your contacts clean is a must. Sound in a system degrades over time if you don’t clean them. I have found that not all cleaners are equal either. I have found that Kontak does the best job (no, I don’t work for them or get anything for promoting it). I have found that my system sound starts going south after about two to three months, and that’s when I clean. Lastly, make sure your acoustics are taken care of. You don’t want an echo chamber but you also don’t want to overdo it to the point that your system has no life. If you haven’t gone to one of the audio shows, do yourself a favor. It’s one of the best ways to confirm what I am talking about. I never walk away from an audio show wishing I could own any of the many cost-no-object components/systems. But I ALWAYS walk away wanting to buy a reasonably priced component that produced some of the best sound at the show (regardless of price).