Conversely, I was impressed and pleased to no end that the end sound of my modest system from the last century could play in the same league as an almost-six figure modern system, and do so in a more engaging and fun fashion - to my ears, at least.
I’m biased, of course; and I am certain many high-priced systems out there leave mine in the dust. Still, I would have thought $80,000 guaranteed a better baseline sound.
How about you, have you heard a lot of gear whose sound was way out of whack with its price?
To me a hifi system is a highly personal thing that is developed over many years or decades. We tailor them to fit our evolving tastes and work in our rooms. Components have been acquired, sold and upgraded over time. We have grown with our systems.
Rarely can even expensive systems that we hear at dealers or shows come close. Often they are a lot worse. There are no shortcuts. Splashing eighty grand on a new system is no substitute for years or decades of careful system building. This is a process not an event.
