Hater love to hate ... You are right ...
But your explanation is simplistic ...
It is not necessary to spend big money to have a minimal acoustic satisfaction if we learn how to do it ... most people are lazy or lack the time to learn ( i am retired) ... Some hate high end for the reason you mention , some hate the price abuse because they dont know how to make any system at any price great and optimal for his potential specific level of S.Q. and needs ...
Some with high end systems hate also people like me happy and who knows why and how to be happy with acoustics knowledge and a low cost system because in their head the price tag only have a meaning and i claim too much and devalorize their costly gear by my claims ( it is not true because there exist for sure differences in S.Q, level qualities )...
hate have many roots as you see not only one ; and when you are creative as some are you dont loose your time in hating ...
But it is knowledge who rule audio minimal acoustical satisfaction not price tag ... This threshold is enough for most people .. And trust me my system is not a frustrating stopgap... One can be proud of his very costly system as Mike Lavigne who worked hard to created it and i am not envious at all , i admire him; and i am as creative as he was but with a low cost system in a dedicated room ...
First low cost gear is not to be confused with cheap gear as you do ...
Second good low cost gear can give very great acoustic result even if for sure it is under the quality of high end system potential ...
Third if someone dont study, experiment and learn how to create S.Q. with acoustics, then anyway with high end or low cost system he will be sensitive to critics and he will react with hate often or with very forceful dislike and scepticism ...
Psycho-acoustics and creativity rule audio not price tag ....
Those who ignore the first and do not bother with the second are sentenced by their attitude to hate at worst and frustration at best ....It is the case with high end owners as wii5th low cost system owners ...
Haters just want to hate.
Seriously, I think the hate comes from people who don’t want to spend more money on better sound, so they justify and rationalize that by convincing themselves that cheap gear sounds as good as high dollar gear.