I think over time it is reasonable to reach such a "pricey" level of audio luxury...I started out like many people, in my 20s putting together what I could and when I could...then as time moved on, I made more money, traded up and continued to build great systems as my abilities to discern the differences between equipment matured and my own tastes became better defined and refined.
So, yes, now 25 years after I purchased my first pair of "audiophile" speakers, I have a system that is by most standards pretty expensive and well over the $33k average....
A moderate percentage of people just go out and drop a $100K+ on a systems (more when it comes to today's HT setups) simply dependent on whatever gear the dealer they happened upon represents. I know for a fact that such people exist, however how can they not lose out on the benefits of "learning" how to put a system together and you have to question if they were able to ever really develop their own tastes and preferences over years of auditioning equipment, changing out your own stuff and/or borrowing gear from a fellow audio type....
I just think it has been more fun to develop and build my system over a long period of time and I suspect most people on this board would agree.
Just my thoughts, John
