Does hearing the best in high end audio make your opinions more valid?

“Best” is a matter of opinion. I have listened to several 6 figure systems that IMO don’t  come close to equaling the satisfaction I get with my set up.
By non-audio enthusiast standards I have spent a fortune, but by “our” standards, its in the basic side. speakers retail for $15k, pre amp 4k, power amps 8k when they were new 11 years ago, cd/sacd player about 2k when new 14 years ago, TT is around 3k , etc.
My goal is to hear everything that is on the recording with the least amount of coloration, taking account that the room is a big ( if not the biggest) culprit of coloration.
On “greatest hits” albums, i can hear the different mics and production techniques of each song. I love to hear the difference as I enjoy the art.
 I’m so satisfied with my system,  I hope you find your version of “best” ASAP. 

Cheers!

A rich man has much more chance of obtaining anything than a poor man.


A rich camel has much greater chance of passing through the eye of a needle than a poor camel. It can buy a bigger needle.

Of course auditioning    great high end systems  is part of the research, but your enjoyment of the music should be the final arbiter.    Spend your time and money  going to listen to live music in the best acoustical venues you can find.  FOr me I judge everything against the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Sullivan and Adlers acoustical masterpiece. Then take the money you have allocated to your system and get as close to replicating that sound in your listening room, as  you can.  Sometimes I think those of us in this hobby loose sight of why we have great stereos, it's the music not the $$ spent on the system.  It's what sounds great to you not to someone else. Take your entire environment into consideration, including room acoustics, your significant others taste, system synergy etc.  Most good manufacturers and shops will let you audition in your home, that is where you will know what the system will sound like.   Sure it will take time to get where you want but isn't the journey worth it.

My opinion has mostly been stated above but for what it's worth: In general hearing more systems provides more data points to assess what you like / dislike and want / don't want based on your listening preferences. Hearing higher end systems exposes you to data points often with higher audio quality which should open your scope of possibility to what you want and what to potentially achieve. In my  experiences with high end systems (>500K) I often walked away with particular areas that I aspired to achieve (ultimate clarity, dynamics, etc.) but very few systems checked all the boxes in terms of an ultimate system. My experience tells me this is more about room treatment / placement or lack thereof.

I live near a couple of high end shops and have hung out to listen to several mega expensive systems over the years and always enjoy that. I also enjoy the fact that I can assemble a system every bit as enjoyable in my home, using well sorted and generally far less expensive gear that's been fussed over and made to fit my tastes. That simply comes from experience...does my system sound better than the mega gear at the "salon?" Yes it does, and that is likely due to the fact that one learns things along the way (if one cares to)...well done power supplies, noise suppressing AC gizmos, better sounding tubes, deciding a certain cable fits into the rig without making itself known...my reference is musical instruments all over my house, decades of live music as a professional musician who also mixes live shows, and understanding how to impose my personal taste on my gear. That's it...it's not a pushup contest, I don't require validation from others, I simply make it sound right or change something. A self indulgent personal fun zone just for me.