I just bought a Merrill Scillia MS2, and was finding the ring/clamp ritual a bit of a bore. But then I did an A/B test on a favorite, rather pristine record with and without the ring. A significant improvement, in ways I would have not expected. More refined highs, and even quieter background noise. I too question the pricing of many of the items in this hobby, but dammit, there is no disputing the sonic improvement, at least of this ring on my system. For me, the question comes down to this: Can I live with the embarassment of the fuss and expense that I have gone to for my hobby? In this case, the answer is yes.