My complete setup as is - e.i.: with main speakers, power amps and DAC/preamp bought used - has set me back about the same as the retail price of my DAC/preamp when new, which is to say around $12k. If all components had been acquired new the price would have sat in the $30-35k range, so effectively I paid about 1/3 of that. My subs are DIY (cabs built by a cabinet maker), and would've been significantly more expensive if preassembled and all.Ā
For what my system does sonically at $12k I dare say it's a bargain. With a Danish-developed reference DAC and great sounding british studio amps, both of which few if no audiophiles know about (or cares to), it's a below-radar component approach that serve both the pro cinema-segment main speakers and horn-based subs very well - all actively configured at that, and that are quite unorthodox in audiophilia as well.
Coming down to it it's fun seeking out gear and design approaches that nobody really expects to perform well in domestic environments, and not least gratifying seeing their faces when they're proved wrong. However the goal was never to surprise anyone, but rather to simply follow the paths that lead to great sound reproduction - irrespective of conventions.Ā