Ok I really need to either take some sleeping pills or get a life, but I think I'll start another thread...

So here goes:

We always talk about the law of diminishing returns in relation to our audio hobby.... (and for good reason... since double the price clearly does not mean double the quality when it comes to audio upgrades)...

So I'd love to hear at what price point different people think that diminishing returns really kicks in....

For a strictly 2 channel audio setup with just one source (whether CD, Vinyl, cassete tape, whatever)... at what retail price (sorry, no ebay specials or used equipment) could you build a competent system that would have most of the sonic performance you need?

So basically any worthwhile upgrades would cost a LOT more money at that point...

Note: this setup can be substanially cheaper than what you have now or even more expensive... just base it on set-ups that you've heard, whether at friends, stores, your own setup, etc...

Ok, I'm sure that many of the audiphiles here will laugh at my price, but I think that between $1000 - $2000 (for the entire setup, including cables) is pretty much where diminishing returns set in....

So what's your price range?