Point is get a system you are happy with, all systems colour audio to their own flavour. (It’s why audio engineers use flat response speakers and headphones and test on a range of vastly different speakers, as they need to get a balance that will play nicely on all systems, from tinny computer speakers, to car stereos(with all the external noise), to 30k systems in sound treated rooms. They aren’t mixing stuff to play nicely only on the most expensive systems.)
I’m also willing to bet those that have spent 10k on their system will tell themselves they are hearing differences, much more than those that haven’t. 😆
Very much a law of diminishing returns going on here, and by diminishing, I mean imperceptible. Once you get by a certain level.
I’m not saying it’s not worth investing in decent gear btw, it obviously is, to a point, that point isn’t really to distinguish the difference between 320k and wav, a decent system will make a 128k mp3 sound better. (better being relative to the listener.)
tbh if my system was making 128k mp3s sound that much different, I’d take it back and get something else.