Thought I’d start a thread on understanding what folk might have got seriously close to buying but in the end decided against and why…….
My starter for 10 is an Audioquest Diamond Ethernet cable - at 10 times the cost of my current Ethernet cable, I could not conceive that it would be 10 times better, but perhaps I am misguided?
ATB, J2
I don’t know any component that is 10 times better because it costs 10 times more.
For Audioquest diamond, it’s not risky, because a lot of sites propose 14 days trial and return.
Bugatti Veyron? 
ATB, J
I am getting closer to retirement at years end, at least that is my plan! I have thought for the last year or so, of selling all of the current gear that I have, except for my Duevel Venus loudspeakers, and getting the Lindemann Source II/Power 1000 combo, as they sound fantastic, effortless, small and simple.
It might still happen, if so, more than likely end of year or first of next, we shall see. The other thought is to sell on all the gear save said speakers and just keep my Nait XS3 integrated and ND5XS2 streamer and be done, as they too are mighty fine.
There is a non dr 500 up for sale at this very moment. I WILL NOT buy it.
Quite true.
But we will soon see the Tesla roadster. 400 km / h. Autonomy : 1000 km.
And price: 200 k.
The Veyron can reach 440 km/h, but will loose on the first 100 meters. And costs 10 times more.
Begins with N and ends in 5
I find it helps if I don’t say it by name
And there’s the MG4 Trophy, supercar performance for around £30k, even less ex demo!
I’ll get my coat .
ATB, J
PS I’ve been looking at that AQ Diamond again…… perhaps I should seek professional help 
.
Before I found my ndac I came extremely close to buying either a pre-loved chord qutest, I got for enough that I was looking all the different power supply options (but had I done that I would have been forever tempted by the what ifs of adding a preloved mscaller too). Or demoing a preloved ndx2 which having now heard the ndac I would have loved but would have cost a good bit more money.
ND5XS2:
Wife.
Mitch in Oz.
A SuperCap DR for my already HiCap DR’ed SN3 - i just couldn’t quite press the trigger. My finger hovered and hovered, but nope, let it go and walked away. Had to lay down and cool off afterwards…
I thought about getting a Statement but decided against it. I bought some nectarines instead.
It’s forbidden to buy a wife
Little marwels!
The listening experience didn’t change, no alterations of the tones, textures, timbers….Like without hearing aids but with a bigger soundstage and more clear details.
Signia 7iX pure charge.
Instead Mitch find that nDAC for your CD5XS
Sneak it in 
Hehehe…I use AQ Diamond from router to EE8 and also on to my streamer. I use AQ Vodka from my modem to router and Vodka from Nas to EE8. Not buying anything else this year.
This.
You can’t retire Naimless.
A Chord Sarum T USB cable at £2K. I’m sure it would be better than my £55 Chord C-USB. But the sound is already incredible. One must sensibly draw a line somewhere - and in truth I’ve already gone quite a way beyond what was strictly sensible.
I feel I’m now deep into severely diminishing returns territory. I’ve had immense fun on this lifelong expedition but it really is time to stop exploring further and call it a day.
A Nait 50. It had some Tigger-ish strengths but within the context of my system, I preferred my existing amplifier, which seemed more balanced and less overtly impressive. I really wanted to love the Nait 50 after what I had read here, but no. I was grateful to my dealer for the home dem.
Audio Note Oto Phono SE Signature. Awesome sounding integrated. Has some magic to it, but the Naim stays.
