I HAVE listened. I think the Wilson Audios are too analytical, too unforgivable with poorly recorded cd's, and not musical enough for my tastes. As for the price difference, oftentimes the extra cost doesn't go into sound reproduction but rather for aesthetics (i.e. speakers for example, will have hand-crafted, hand painted veneers that really don't affect the sound that much but look classier). Just because a cd player is $2000, doesn't mean there's any AUDIBLE difference in sound, although the manufacturer may try to justify the price with theoretical physics. (i.e. I saw speaker cables for $6000/ft. I doubt most listeners would be able to perceive the difference between those cables and generic 10 gauge cables, although I'm sure the cable manufacturer has some rationalization for charging so much.) I guess what it all boils down to is that the laws of physics aren't the only things determining how good a product sounds. In fact, it's a complicated relationship between physics, psychoacoustics, and personal preference (which happens to be unique to every individual) that determines how good a product will sound to the listener. A $2000 Rega CD player may sound better to you, but if that's your budget, why not just go with SACD/DVD-audio player?
