Mm, very few people will ever have met such a person so the sample size would be tiny. The cost of the system does not necessarily reflect its performance. I’ve done the naim ladder, it was fun, was each level worth it? I must have thought so at the time, but since doing a total reset, I just don’t think there is a direct link between sound & £.
You may well do a similar thing with Audio Note only to find better performance for less money elsewhere. Therefore, I don’t believe having a costly system gives you any special powers of discernment.
This is a good point that just because something is great at one price point doesn't mean it is at every price point. A Honda Civic might be best in class but it doesn't mean the Accord or CRV is the best in their classes.
Audio though is a little different because of the "house sound." If I look at the Magenpan 1.7 for around $2,000 I think it is good value - I am not a Magnepan or panel fan BUT most of the boxed speakers at $2,000 do not offer a lot to me either - A cheap floorstander often sounds cheap and the stand mounts typically don't have any more bass than a 1.7. So the 1.7 offers a lot for a little. I can't say that about the 20.1 which was $15,000 - The better boxed speakers no longer sound cheap - they have more bass, dynamics, ease of drive treble etc.
So I find them to offer much less value - on the other hand, no boxed speaker sounds like a Magnpen. So if one LOVES the Magnepan sound then a $15k or $20k version to maximize that house sound to them is a good deal - they are buying the penultimate of the Magnepan "sound"
You could say the same for a Vanderteen 7 over a 2ce.
In other words - comparing "withing" a company house sound a fan will be able to hear the improvements as you move up the line. Usually, as you move up the line you get another woofer, a bigger cabinet or a bigger woofer. With some tube or SS amps you are getting better internal parts, more power(ss typically) and maybe a better chassis.
The HK dealer noted that one of the problems they have with Audio Note is that they usually all look the same - customers like to SEE the improvement not be told that the internal wire is thicker silver or the drive uses better and bigger magnets - they can't see it.
This is harder as you mentioned NAIM - I am not as up on NAIM but Bryston's head engineer noted that a 3Bm 4B, and 8B, all should sound exactly the same - as you moved up the line you got more power. A very power-hungry speaker would show you the differences because the 3B may not be able to power the speakers properly. For any easy-to-drive speaker you should not hear any difference - thus spending more wouldn't get you more. SS makers IME usually just increase the power as you move up their line - tube makers interestingly often go the other way. If a tube maker makes Push-Pull and SET - the SET amps tend to be their top-of-the-line most expensive amplifiers and offer much less power. Tube amps also tend to have more variance so there is less of a house sound progression. A SORO is similar in price to the OTO but if you listen to them both back to back you're kind of surprised how different they sound even though most of the internal parts are similar. The SORO is around 20% more expensive but most people prefer the sound of the OTO. The Soro is more linear and more neutral but the OTO is darker and arguably more veiled as tube stereotypes go. But if you heard them you would not really think they were from the same company if you didn't read the logo.
