I don't know if there's anything that can be said to justify your expenditure in their rolling eyes. The most important thing is that you feel it was justified. If the friends are local, or visiting, the best thing to do is play them music (preferably a disc they actually own) and let the music do the talking for you.

Lamont! Ya big dummy!

That's when you hit them with how much your wire costs. Having now convinced your friend that you are a complete and utter fool, you then ask him if he knows anyone in town that sells vacuum tubes.

I don't ever mention how much I spend on equipment to anybody except my wife. But when I do mention to them that I have bought this or that they ask what kind of amp, DAC, speaker, etc that I bought. I get a blank stare and a "really?" response. Not a Sony, Yamaha or other Best Buy, Circuit City product? I might as well be speaking a strange language.

I tell them that some people spend money on cars, others spend money on clothes, jewelry and homes. Some of us spend our money on music reproduction equipment. There is certainly a point of diminishing returns, but it's all a matter of how much you want to spend to squeeze that extra Nth degree of fidelity.

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then ask him if he knows anyone in town that sells vacuum tubes.

Vacuum tubes? Not sure about that, my vacuum uses bags and I get them at the grocery store.

It depends whether he can hear the difference between your $5K system and the $0.5K system. The cheaper system sounds like the ones you hear at the big box retail stores, similar to the 5.1 channel HTiB systems, in my opinion. The all in one systems that go for <$100, ... is less than useless to me now.

But, I started into music listening with that type of system a very long time ago and kept upgrading the system. I think it worked out for me because I can hear those nuances and care about getting better sound, and kept pursuing it. If another person can't hear the difference, then to him/her a $5K system is likely a waste of money.

The advice given in the prior postings is to let him listen with his own music. He may or may not be able to discern any improved sound on your system.