Is $2500 the point of diminishing returns?

While I would love to go new for my system right now, I think it might be a poor choice. I am going to check out the used market and see what I like, hopefully, without losing much money.

 

Vintage - $6 or $7G

 

Add another thousand for repairs from failures of old parts.

 

You are attributing an assertion to me which I never made. What happens in threads such as these is that those who went beyond a random price point years ago are simply out to waste money. Ridiculous.

I've owned a GTI and an R32. I've also owned an Audi S4 (I'm now back all the way down to a Mazda!). Do you taunt the S4 owners for spending beyond your "sweet spot"? I can assure you that my S4 would make quick work of an R32 or GTI in nearly every way. I can assure you that I considered the S4 more of a sweet spot than the GTI. Is it "the" sweet spot? Well, S4 owners will tell you that. And GTI owners will also claim the "sweet spot".

Good grief.

Finally, it's insulting that you'd post here while ignoring the simple request from Mr. Hoffman to complete your gear profile.

 

And the answer from the most informed members here is that the improvements in sound quality are enormous well beyond the $2,500 price point. It's inconvenient to be told that.

It is true that one can spend gobs of money and never realize that speaker position and acoustic treatment are central to achieving a true hi-fidelity experience. Wasting money is easy in this hobby. Conflating that fact with the fiction that amplification and source components sound pretty much the same is embarrassing.

 

Yeah, I have a Camaro and it has more CC's than any 3 of those cars put together, and so what? Let's get real.

 

That is if you can find someone who can fix the thing.

 

very true.

 

Sure, speaker position and room acoustics have a lot to do with how a system sounds. I remember back in the days of stereo stores where they had demo listening rooms where you could listen to different speakers through different components. Problem was, when got got them home, they didn't sound the same.

Back to the subject of the thread, $2500. It would be easy to spend that much on a single component, like a turntable or pre-amp. Considering an entire system in the $2500. range, how much more would you have to spend to actually hear an improvement? A $100., $200.? I doubt the average joe could notice an improvement.

Then you have to consider the software, the source material. Records, tapes, CD's, SACD's......etc. What your source material is has a lot to do with how your system sounds. Will records, it often depends on who and when the records were pressed. Like some CCR albums I've been working with lately. Overall sound quality, I like the original RCA Hollywood pressings. AP released the "Absolute Originals" boxed set. The first pressing was done by RTI, then AP decided to go into the record pressing business, starting QRP. They then re-issued the "Absolute Originals" box, but this time doing the pressing at their new QRP. All pressings were done with the same metal parts that RTI made. Guess which set was better? RTI of course. It all came down to experience and QC, which QRP was lacking. It didn't take any multi-thousand dollar system to find that out.

Putting too much into something doesn't always pencil out, as far as improvements by the dollar. In the Cadillac and Lincoln dealerships the accessory departments sold Vogue tires, known for their soft ride. The luxury car segment was what they were marketing to. The tires cost about twice as much as a Michelin. Now, if you buy a set of Vogue tires for Chevy pick-up is like throwing your money away. Spending way more than you need to and not realizing a benefit. It's still a Chevy pick-up. They wouldn't do you any better putting Vogue tires on an Escalade or Navigator.

 

Considering a system with $2500, to make an improvement, I might need to replace all of those original components. But may be at $10K I could have a brand new setup that is significant better for my taste. So, that is half of the 20K the original post mentioned.

Same about car. I don't upgrade tires or engine in Toyota Corolla and hope for a much better performance. I would sell it and buy a BMW M2 instead at about 4 times the cost.

 

You got me. Good lord.

I made a point about diminishing returns and now you are confirming it. Thanks, I guess. Diminishing returns for me is different than for someone else. Hey, and I bet that goes for just about anyone! So, let's all conclude that $2,500 diminishing returns for a two channel component stereo system is arbitrary and pretty much useless. I'd be disappointed with nearly any $2,500 speaker, much less an entire system!

Likewise, with cars, a GTI is a disappointment for many who are accustomed to far superior all-around performance.

Whew!

 

I suspect any individual’s “point of diminishing returns” is likely to be very close to what his present system cost

 

Nah. I was really happy with my $1200 system until my friend introduced me to the Blue Men Group. 8 years and thousands more later, I am getting close to that point of diminishing returns.

 

Is $2500 the point of diminishing returns?
A good question but one that could have a lot of different answers.
I would like to see some responses for a $2500 system and a $5000, a $10,000, a $15,000, a $20,000 & up.
I think it would be very interesting to see these systems and why.

 

Is it better to be pleased when spending a larger sum than being pleased spending a smaller sum?

 

Is $2500 the point of diminishing returns?

God I hope not!!

 

I'm glad this all settled!

 

Is "sweet spot" this year's "golden age"?

 

Mine probably kicks in with cable risers (see also any other woo fluff), acoustic "treatment" in the family living space and the narrow field vision some of the members of our hobby have when it comes to others' buying choices. Regardless of cost for the first two while the last one is an unfortunate freebie.

You know whose opinion you can regard with credit in this hobby from the ones you can toss like yesterday's chip paper.

 

All I know is, if my current system was burgled, I know exactly what I'd replace it with!!

Rega DAC-R*>Rega Brio (the new one)>Vandersteen VLRs. What's that, about $3k?



*Hopefully they don't burgle my Pioneer Elite universal deck, which would feed the DAC-R.

 

Ha! I had some fully custom shoes made for me in 2000 in London. Took a year to make but they are dress shoes that are as comfortable as my tennis shoes and will last for decades.

 

I did not make the statement lightly. I've been party to enough discussions on diminishing returns to understand a lot of it truly is class warfare nonsense.

 

Exactly. There is a lot of high value gear around these days if you look. And a lot of it from reputable firms that are likely to stick around and service the gear.