What’s the Sweet Spot price point wise in your audio journey?


I ask the question because there are so much gear at vastly different price points.  My sweet spot is the 15-30k range. That’s where my speakers, amp, and Dac for the most part sets. There are good things below the prices but there is synergy and  price/performance when purchasing audio. For some folks it’s the 5-15 range. It just depends on what you budget is you can fund great stuff all over Audio. Thoughts! No negativity. Just real answers. 

calvinj

Price has nothing to do with reaching  the "minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold" .

Price is related to your budget limits and needs  more than to the "minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold"...

I needed and enjoy  now a desktop system for nearfield listening  after i loose my acoustical dedicated room...

I own a top headphone too which sold for peanuts...

 When optimized these two systems makes preposterous any envious  desire to invest in very costly system...

My actual  speakers system could be upgraded not because it does present displeasing limits, it did not when optimized, but anything can be improved with money...

I dont know and i doubt it  if any headphone , be it the K1000, . Mysphere, or Raal can beat my k340 of ALL acoustics count...Then if i had the budget i would upgrade my satisfying speakers+sub for another set around 2,000 bucks (my actual set is peanuts and very good optimized).

I already had with my K340 a top system which cannot be beat easily ...

 

There is no sweet spot for all...

Too much different budget limits...

Too much different concrete  needs..

Too much different knowledge level about acoustical,electrical and mechanical optimization and too much "tweaks" adding to this and DSP on top...

Too much different designs quality levels  at all price...

Who knew how to optimize the K340 by the way if you read the few negative reviews of it  ? (almost no one)

"my" sweet spot then  is my actual  1000 bucks for all my pieces...smiley

Beat me soundwise....Good luck...

The ratio S.Q./ price only makes sense... there is no sweet spot cost  without basic knowledge...

 

My daughter has a end game sounding rig for 5k, might surprise even some very nitpicky guys. But, one can keep buying different things at various pricepoints to satisfy his curiosities, depending on the size of his/her wallet, of course.

There is no sweetspot... things may sound good or bad at different prices.

a) Don't be a loser grumbling/whining about guys buying things you can't afford.

b) Don't be a jackass looking down on dudes who can't buy certain things.

Plenty of a's and b's around.....

Otherwise, it should all be fine....

For me the sweet spot is about $20K per component and $30K+ for speakers. It is the sweet spot for me, since it is the level I could afford during my last upgrade.

When you get into high end gear... there tend to be levels of products. Like $12K, $20K, $50K. Also, to make a meaningful upgrade I find 2x is the minimum to make the result strike me, "Wow, that is amazing" and feel it is well worth it. So, if I can afford it in about five years of so my next upgrade would be to the $50K level. But I am very happy at this level if I can’t upgrade. This system definitely hits my "minimum acoustic quality for satisfaction" . Typically, I am really happy for around ten years at a level before I start thinking maybe I should consider leveling up. 

@erik_squires "... I have golf clubs in my shed I never use.  I hate golf, but they were 75% off. "

That is great! You are human. Me too. While I do not have that foible, I have my own.

Audio is such a personal hobby I think this is the last place you want to try and impress people with how much you spend.  I believe, outside the few on these forums, most view spending a lot to be more foolish than impressive.!  My wife and kids included!

However, if you limit the list to the "audiophile" group I think @calvinj question is an interesting one.  I would tend to agree that a well-chosen $50K retail system is a logical sweet spot for a single analog or digital path.  If one's careful, buying used makes all the sense in the world.  Quality/$'s in this hobby is clearly an asymptotic function and spending beyond this level I believe is because you want to and can rather than obvious benefits.  As I think @mahgister points out there are so many other factors that impact the benefit of just spending dollars, especially when the incremental benefits are increasingly small.