Point of diminishing returns

The point of diminishing returns is just past the amount of money you have spent and justified to yourself as necessary to achieve the sound you want, and just before the amount of money other idiots have spent on their systems for sound refinements that are clearly not worth the money.

It is also right at the point in the price performance curve where component comparisons shift from differences described as KICKS ASS to differences described as "I think I can hear...."

Orgasm.

In our hobby;it depends where our focus is placed. (Think,OJ trial.)A decent boom-box or 200k in components both play music,with a ka-jillion steps between them. I would guess there are some whom have had the same pieces for 5//7/10 years.Then there's me and many others trading all the time. Speakers are a great example for this 'P of D R' theory___ That is, in someone else's opinion.__ My money, my choices,my enjoyment. That extra 2% is what makes my boat float. Some things are just hard to place that 'P of D R' on. If money is your main focus you will have a different point of reference. I say enjoy what you can afford and expect 'that' should be more important than other opinions.

Rar1 -
Is it a Federal Law? Does it apply in all 50 States?
My thoughts on the meaning correspond with your explanation but my eloquence certainly doesn't.
It still seems as vague as Drubin's version, however, because that utility thing is utterly subjective, is it not? I mean it seems to be a criterium that we cannot quantify. The point of diminishing returns is not on a map or a curve anywhere. It's like Pirsig's "quality". We all feel we know what it is until we try to define it.

if the value in use equals the value in exchange, there is no point of diminishing returns.

as price increases, there is some point when the value in exchange exceeds the value in use.

another words, someone will continue to pay more and more for a component until he/she perceives that a component is overpriced.

there is no absolute number. for some a $2000 preamp is the point of diminishing returns, while for others it may be $5000. in any case, it is subjective.

for the mathematicians out there when the rate of change of value with respect to the rate of change of price begins to decrease, the point of diminishing returns is reached.

there is no absolute answer.

also, someone may be willing to upgrade , paying 50 % more in price to get a 10 % improvement, because it is worth it to that person.