I was considering splurging on a CF frame - 2 pounds lighter - if I could lose 5 pounds first. But I gained 5 pounds so I have wider higher quality tires instead.
That really sums it up in a nutshell from my perspective. When we really do appreciate the marginal improvements, and have a realistic idea of how much we'd gain, we sometimes realize that we just don't care about the $5K quality.
I suspect that's what the audiophile friend was getting at. He knows how we get when we're enthusiasts in any hobby, price is secondary to any sort of better quality, and perhaps he is looking for where to draw the line.