i've been out of college for a year and a half, turn 24 in a couple weeks, work freelance, make jack, and have about $30K retail in gear, around 14-ishK out of pocket thanks to good deals and some luck. My parents don't give half a crap about music and don't give me money. I'm still trying to figure out how i've done it. Scary things happen when us impressionable youth show up on audiogon. Two years ago I had a midfi system at best. I am badly addicted, slightly insane and don't mind periods of fasting. The system does a fine job of covering up the hunger pangs LOL.
Are you Guys Rich or What!?
I have an old system, nothing special, Adcom, Vandersteens etc and I recently set foot for the first time in a "high end" shop, hoping to get to the next level of audio nirvana. When I saw some of the prices for monoblock amplifiers, cables, the latest speakers etc, I practically fell off my chair when I realized that I could blow $50-100K pretty easily on this stuff. I am not rich. Do you big budget system guys all work on Wall Street or something or do you eat macaroni and cheese most nights to put a few bucks away for CDs and your next upgrade?