Semwin, I really WANT to agree with you but can't on the issues of what to do about pc's/cables. You are absolutely correct about shoddy workmanship as well as seat-of-the-pants engineering by non-engineers (i.e. try it and see if it does anything). It would be nice to believe that the larger dealerships have it all together, but it just ain't so.. They are in business to sell what they can move in quantity and usually haven't heard any of the small brands (like Ridge Street, Empirical, Argent, Pure Note, Elrod etc that have current cachet on the internet). Also, you would think that the larger, better financially endowed cable companies would be better, but it's surprising how much bad workmanship shows up at $4000+ price levels. Talk to the companies involved and they will complain about how hard it is to hire good people... hence the lousy QA.
I have never heard a good answer to the issue of preserving independent entrepeneurship yet protecting the buyer. The only policing action that exists in high end is opinion - both end user and industry insiders. The second is fraught with politics, the first is fraught with ignorance. Internet experience among users may be the only guide, yet we are afraid to name names and the websites would censor any serious attacks on their sponsors anyway.
So I'm open to anyone's new thoughts here.