russel
./_dazed_and_confused
This is, of course, quite irrelevant to audio chain pricing except inasmuch as you may think that more expensive components outlast cheaper ones. I can see an analogy with cars here; £50K + Porsches, Range Rovers et al generally have lower scores for reliability than cheaper vehicles (Skoda, e.g.).
I'm always amazed at how well those 70s, 80s and 90s Japanese (or other; NAD, e.g.) kit seems to just go on and on. Were their trannies and cap's infused with Lotus blossom and Mt. Fuji dust?
The reason mid price components, cars, washing machines, hifi etc last longer than expensive ones is volume, “top of the range” never sell in enough volume to get rid of all the corner case problems, on the other hand cheap stuff is unreliable because it’s designed close to the edge, how much amstrad or prinzsound stuff is still around?