How much does your system retail for?

28,000 - 30,0000. Only good thing to come out of divorce. Freedom to spend.

Money should be no object if perusing the real, live music here.
I have listened to systems costing well over $300,000 and it just doesn't last for more than 30 minutes.
My ears would bleed.
The ego of the owner would be sky-high because he, definitely is a he, would love and adore his systems because all the components are "Stereophile" endorsed and definitely be "Class A"
How stupid can that be?
Those people are cows and they like to be leaded by a ring in their nose.
Just cannot stand by with those "money bleeding" snake oil scam.

Robert, I guess they just aren't as smart, or maybe just as arrogant as you!

Arrogant does required knowledge and insight to make it elegant. However, ignorance does not need anything; just plain stupidity.
How many of the people would take a straight answer from first, a salesman (any salesman, be they the car, stocks, real estate, etc.), second, the lawyers (they are just interested in prolonging the bleeding and last, the so-called "stereophile guru" (they want only big advertising dollars).
A simple LP playing system with a Linn LP12, AudioNote integrated and some efficient bookshelves would just be enough.
I had tried numerous CD (YBA, Sony scd-1, Mcintosh, Esoteric, etc), DAC (Meridian, Audio research, Esoteric, Mcintosh, etc), preamplifers (YBA pre 1, McIntosh C2200, Audio research Reference 2, Conrad Johnson ACT, etc.) and power amplifier ( Pass, XA60, X250, YBA 1 & 2, McIntosh MC2301, MC250, etc)
All the above are excellent gear, yet, the only one sounds natural, real and good to my own ears are the following combination.
Tentlabs CD player, VAC preamplifier (upgraded capacitors: Mundorf Gold/Silver/Oil), Sonic Frontiers Power 3, AudioNote SET, Maggie 3.6
This combination compares to systems costing over $200,000 (Mcintosh, Sonus Fraber, Wilson Puppy, Audio research, etc)
; it just sound much better.
I compare all the system to real, live music, and if your ears tell you to continue to listen; that is a good system.

Robertwolfee,

I understand your position and somewhat agree, especially with the part about some very expensive systems could possibly cause ear bleed. However, the same can be said of systems at all price levels.

Audio from entry level to the most costly can sound extremely good or extremely bad, depending on components, matching and most of all, the room.

Nrchy was possibly upset with your sweeping statement. The way it was posted one could conclude that you think everyone with an expensive system is an ego freak and cannot determine between good and bad sound. That obviously is not true.

I will agree that in some cases a lot of money is spent and the results could have been had at a fraction the cost. I can also say that I've heard some absolutely amazing high end (expensive) systems that achieved levels of performance that are not possible with lesser components.

My experience may change with time, perhaps I've just not heard the exception to the rule, but I've heard a heck of a lot of systems.