Are you Guys Rich or What!?

Thomas, listen to Onhwy61. 7500.00 is probably more than enough to spend on a system. I am at about 4500.00 and still upgrading. 7500.00 is my limit. I would not spend more if I had it. 50-100K systems are in my opinion morally incorrect. It is one thing to quest for the absolute sound and quite another it indulge in greed and obsesiveness for any hobby. I say hobby, because that is exactly what it is. If you think that 50-100k is going to get you spiritual enlightenment, good luck! I say you are most likely to find happiness, enjoyment, fulfillment, pleasure and all the other reasons for this hobby, by giving your 50-100K system to someone in need. They could then sell it at 1/2 price (if it's actually worth that much) to pay for their shelter, food, and clothes. The down side of this hobby is those that take a good thing too far. 50-100K in audio becomes not a hobby but an obsession. This would be a reasonable thing if you were an audio professional, either sales, recording, musician, etc. But for the average or even above average, it's just plain stupid. Remember this is just one person's opinion. Some might think my 7500 budget is out of hand. I guess it's all how you look at it.

Having been in the general neighborhood of "audiophilia" for MANY years... and being poor! I can sympathize with the plight of the 'person on a (small) budget' going into a "Hi-End" audio salon. The 'Top of the Line' costs are mind blowing. But then with a bit of searching and reading and listening, one can arrive at a compromise that leaves one aurically satisfied. In 1966 I had a system that cost under $1,200. Now, my (musical only/non video) systems' list price would be around just $10,000 (this is with speakers 17 years old that today would alone be a $5,000+ replacement cost). Over all, the rate of improvement in sound quality ALONG WITH the lower than standard rate of inflation in audio prices (IF you compare the quality of the sound, and not the absolute price of the most expensive things)leaves me with a FAR better system than the one I had as a teen... at only a bit more in real dollars???. To find this system has taken a lot of searching out 'what I really want and can afford', and bargain hunting and price haggling (and dumping horrible mistakes). Audiophilia IS a relatively "nice" affliction to have... but to be "bitten" is NOT the same as having the mature result. Good luck!

To Axomoxa: If consenting adults without children earn their money legaly how they choose to spend it is hardly a moral issue.

I agree with Plsl.

It's not always how much you spend, but how you spend it that counts. By paying proper attention to component interface and balancing out the strengths of one component against another, I believe it is possible to assemble a system where the sum of the musical enjoyment exceeds the value of the parts. It is possible to assemble a system for $7,500 or less that will outperform much more expensive ones, if the money is spent carefully. Hanging around this website is a good way to learn (and get some good deals).