When I was shopping for my system, I listened to a bunch of different configurations.

The best had to be the $100,000 or more system. The speakers alone were $80,000, each having their own amplifier. The speaker cables were $8,000 a piece. They were hand-woven and about 3-4 in. in diameter. There was a CD player with separate DAC. I listened to my Afro Celt Sound System CD on it and was blown away. Also listened to some Opera. The soundstage was pretty unbelieveable. I was then kicked out so another guy could listen to a Beatles vinyl on it. Audiophiles...

When it comes down to it, my $2500 system (not including Home Theater) sounds pretty damn good, though. Audio equipment follows the rule of diminishing returns...