Let's assume you were building a 2 channel HiFi with a normal (middle class) audiophile budget, so essentially anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000 for the whole setup (source, amplification, speakers and cables), what compromises would you accept?

For example, sacrificing deep bass for more refined midrange and treble that a monitor would offer over a similarly priced tower... Or trading a flat frequency response for a more 'engaging' presentation... Or sacrificing the ability to crank up the volume for a more refined presentation at low volumes, etc...


More and more I'm starting to realize that I'm willing to compromise anything (in HiFi) as long as it is not obvious... So as long as the musical presentation is convincing as a whole... So ideally I'd like a system that while not the best in any specific area (dynamic range, detail, soundstage, etc...) doesn't appear weak in any area.... So unless you compare it directly against another product, you wouldn't really notice anything was missing... I think my preference has to do with what drove me in to audiophilia in the first place: hearing music on my walkman or mini-system and thinking that something sounds wrong - crank up the volume and the music gets harsh or strained, lack of clean deep bass, overly bright treble, veiled midrange, etc....

So back to the question: What compromises would you accept?