Yes, the law of diminishing returns rules high end audio. I have owned speakers which retailed for $90,000, amplifiers which retailed for $30,000, a digtal rig which retailed for $26,000, and I can honestly say that they were only slightly better than most other equipment I have owned, retailing for MUCH less. There are so many variables in any given system which determine how the system, as a whole, sounds. Synergy is SO important, and there is no way to tell how your components will "mesh" until it happens. Personally, I have found the quest for the holy grail maddening. Upgrading to $90,000 speakers requires one to spend commensurate sums of $$ on other components to achieve balance. But what about the powercords?? Isn't it now imperative to get $2000. powercords to really let those megabuck components shine? But what about isolation components? After all, can my $30,000 amplifiers really excel without pricey air cushions? My point is that there is no end to the madness if you let it take over. The best thing I ever did was downsize and find reference components at sane (relatively) prices which provide more satisfaction than I used to have. I'm willing to accept that there may be better out there and I'm O.K. with it.