What is the current retail cost of your reference system?


It would be interesting to share this as I am not sure some of us understand how decisions are made within the framework of cost and resolution. Please avoid used prices as that muddys the water significantly. Also cabling costs would be revealing as well if willing to share. 

jpwarren58

how decisions are made within the framework of cost and resolution.

Seems the OP is asking cost/benefit which is subjectively different for each of us. I originally started listing what I purchased and why, then I realized that everyone goes through the same cost/benefit exercise but under different preferences snd circumstances

If this is just to satisfy curiosity, seems to open the door to financial judgement from others with no upside in helping anyone.  

I’m not sure throwing out a figure representing the retail value (or actual amount paid) tells you much. What about the person who has purchased equipment in considered fashion, perhaps ten years ago or more? Is that a lesser system, qualitatively, than one that someone spent double the amount on? Would you make that determination based on the retail price of the equipment? What if some of the gear was truly vintage? Retail pricing was very low compared to today, for that same thing.

If you are about getting a sense of the demographic, how much people are willing to spend, I’d say it is all over the map. I have a system running that emulates what I was running in 1975. Some of the components in it were purchased even earlier than that date. My sunk cost is almost nil, and the cost of refurbishment was trivial considering the quality of the gear.

My main system was pricey but well thought out. It is not the same as other systems that cost the same because the particular choice of components, set up, etc. all vary by user/room, etc.

What is it that you are trying to find out, OP?

If it is the "philosophy" behind building a system, how does the grossed up retail price tell you anything about that?

The best system , I ever had:

- Thorens 124 /2 : 4500€

-phono-amp .:2500€

-CEC sdt: 3200€

-Moon Mind 2: 2500€

-Metronome Technologie C6 (dac): 8000€

-Daniël Hertz M6L: 12000€

- Mal Valve 2: 18000€

-Ilumnia Magister: 27000€

- Ilumnia Magister sub: 18000€

-Cables 8000€

-rack and others: 6000€

Well, the integrated I'm using cost $20 new, in1957. But then a live birth at a hospital with an overnight stay for the mother and infant cost less, so what does money even mean? That plus speakers, laptop, dac, turntable, and cart are about $4500