Why Are People So Concerned About How Others Spend Their Money?

@kahlenz 

"In a double-blind A/B test at normal listening levels most people would have a hard time distinguishing between LS50s and speakers that cost 100x as much.  They would, however, immediately be able to tell the difference between the LS50s and  laptop computer speakers."

Agreed. 

Although I suspect you wouldn't even need a pair of LS50s for your words to be true. Friends and family reactions have demonstrated this apparent anomaly over time after time.

However, we are not most people. We crave improvements wherever and whenever, irregardless. This is particularly problematic when there is no metric accurate enough by which can compare precise performance.

This is not F1 where they have 400 sensors on board the cars and precision timing mechanisms.

@dadork 

If you are on this forum you have bought various pieces of equipment. You and you alone made the decision to buy what you did.

Quite rightly so.

Despite the neverending exhortations of reviewers suggesting a neverending stream of improved versions (flavours of the month) there is no audio mandate.

The choice remains with the individual. The consumer is free to visit forums such as this and make up their own mind.

The key word is free.

I so don’t care about those types of comments that they no longer even register in my brain when I read them.

If I thought about it, I’d say it’s the insecure putting others down to make themselves feel better.

People who don't know what they're doing are driving used prices to silly levels. That's why.