I couldn't agree more. There are a lot of uber-expensive components and speakers out there that are not worth 1/10 of the price. This is why it is so important to read the reviews from the press and from customers and if possible, audition in your own system.
Many of you evidently feel that my products are expensive, but my customers don't. They understand that when my $10K DAC beats the $50K-75K Vivaldi stack, this is a good value. Lots of posters on the web complain that more expensive cables don't make any difference, but the problem is they have only tried <$300 cables. Good cables, particularly analog start happening around $500 IME. I used to sell them, but not anymore. Same with DAC's. If you have only tried <$1K DACs, you have not heard how good DACs can be.
Steve N.
I haven't bought anything without an extended home demo for years, except speakers - getting speakers set up which weigh 300lb each isn't easily arranged.
When I first compared cables I used a Spectral SDR2000 Dac, DMC20 preamp and DMA180 power amp into Sonus Faber Extrema speakers.
The second time I used a Goldmund Mimesis 22/ Mimesis 20/ Mimesis 29.4 monoblocks, for speaker cables only.
Both these evaluations at home.
When I chose my current speakers otoh I travelled all over the place for a couple of years. By then I was using Apogee Divas and was keen to hear the original Wilson Audio WAMM and the dealer I had bought my Goldmund Reference turntable from was the French importer for so I went to Paris to listen to them.
He also had Goldmund Apologues and Analogues which I felt had a much more realistic instrumental timbre and looked much nicer.
To cut a long story short my final audition was between the Goldmund Epilog and the Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus. I chose the Epilogs even though I loved the styling of the Nautilus and have been contentedly listening to them ever since.
I used to make recordings (of classical music) too, so have several original master recordings of my own I can play.
Things I can certainly hear differences between:-
Microphones
Microphone position.
Tape recorders.
Pickup cartridges - I use an Ortofon A90 mostly but like the Decca super gold a lot - more fun than accurate...
Pickup arms
Record decks
Record deck supports, and where they are located.
Speakers.
Power amplifiers.
Things I have tested carefully and did not discern a difference on the type of music I listen to:-
Interconnects, except the ones like Goldmund and MIT with filters in.
Speaker cables - ditto
DACs, I compared a Linn Klimax, Resolution Audio Cantata, Weiss DAC202 and Metric Halo recorder. I thought there may have been a tiny bit more detail on the sound of the pianist pressing the pedals with the Cantata on one piano recording, but minimal and I am sure blind I wouldn't consistently get it right - so for me a requestably good approximation to no difference.
Things I haven't carefully tested but a quick check showed no difference:-
Preamps - I changed the Spectral DMC 20 which I loved for the Goldmund Mimesis 22 because it stacked nicely despite not hearing a difference.
I am a believer in simple recording and for me it is a
fact that the recording quality makes a much bigger difference to sound quality than any change in properly engineered hifi equipment, and it is an obvious difference.
I am a music lover, had a good system for at least 5 years before I got my first car and have actually never owned a car costing as much as my hifi, ever. I own a Ferrari I bought new.
My conclusions after over 50 years as a music lover and engineer.