Actual Points of diminishing returns

[tquickbrownfox]

Hi
 
So this is probably one of the more ambiguous/arbitrary posts with no real reason to exist.
 
So over a few years as a head-fi lurker and more recently as a member, I've noticed that there's a price point around which the best value products exist. Its the point after which you pay a lot more money to get a smaller increment in value. In my opinion, for IEMs that's between 100-150 (around the RE400) and for headphones that's around 200 (around a DT770).
What do you guys think that point is?
 
I believe that this range of prices offer best value. I'd rather own 2 $200 headphones of different sound signature than a $400 headphone. I'd definitely rather own a $100 iem than two $50 iems, and I'd rather own 2 $100 iems of different sound signatures than $200 iem (GR07 is the exception to this case. And to everything. The GR07 is the exception to everything).
 
What do you think?
 
How do you create a budget for your head gear purchases? Do you spend 'what seems right for a headphone' or do you 'shop the sales', or do you have a personal limit about 'how much it is sane to spend on audio gear'? Or do you, like me, chase the point of maximum value?

 

[kernel8888]

I am not as familiar with headphones, but with iems i would say that there are 5 real price points to get high quality sound, with sound signature preferences also being a factor that could change the tiers up a bit.

But i would say that you get 80% of overall sq in tier 1, 85% in tier 2, 87.5% in tier 3, 90-95% in tier 4, and 95-100% in tier 5,

TIER 1: $100 mark is the first real point (re400)
TIER 2: $150 (gr07),
TIER 3: $250 (ety er-4),
TEIR 4: $300-$400 (w4, pfe 232, sm64, se535, fa4exb, jh5)
TEIR 5: $1000+ TOTL customs from major brands, totl universals.

 

[tquickbrownfox]

I am not as familiar with headphones, but with iems i would say that there are 5 real price points to get high quality sound, with sound signature preferences also being a factor that could change the tiers up a bit.

But i would say that you get 80% of overall sq in tier 1, 85% in tier 2, 87.5% in tier 3, 90-95% in tier 4, and 95-100% in tier 5,

TIER 1: $100 mark is the first real point (re400)
TIER 2: $150 (gr07),
TIER 3: $250 (ety er-4),
TEIR 4: $300-$400 (w4, pfe 232, sm64, se535, fa4exb, jh5)
TEIR 5: $1000+ TOTL customs from major brands, totl universals.

Yeah, that sounds right to me.
Mind you, we probably shouldn't be counting the re400 as it isn't a very indicative phone for the $100 mark. IDK.
 
Anyone else know what the tiers would be for headphones and amps/portable amps?