What's your biggest surprise in hifi?

That people spend so much on cables while other parts of their rigs could be improved. 

1.That people invest so much energy and funds in inanimate objects that they hope will get them close to the reality instead of investing directly into real animate objects.
2. That $375 MM cartridge can sound so good when used with $3k table and $1.5k arm.
3. That there appears to still be many enthusiasts of open reel decks who keep to true audiophile roots.
4. That some have thousands of records and keep buying more.
5.That tubes still rule no matter what is sometimes said. They do not sound different than transistors, they sound better.
6. That at times paying a lot for cables makes perfect sense.

The three biggest surprises in Hi-Fi since the 70’s are easily that, after all these years...

1. Valves and vinyl still rule the roost in many ways and are still so damn pleasing!

2. I can actually hear the industries performance advancements, in my (and dear friends) kit(s) and truly enjoy much of the benefits, given the inescapable fact that at the same time our ears are aging (me:58) and losing performance capability.

3. That the profound sonic effects of cabling, mains supply, and burn-in are still treated like myth/religion by far too many in otherwise respectable circles of our fair hobby.

Happy (long play) Listening!

Direct-drive and Idler-drive turntables.

The goodness and sometimes the superiority of MM and MI type cartridges that cost hundreds of dollars, rather than thousands.

That, contrary to what someone else wrote above, incremental improvements to my system have made mediocre LPs sound better, often much better, rather than worse.

Taters: I'm talking about equipment manufacturers. And the driving force is economics. As long as there is money to be made, people will enter the market to compete. And since high-end is "dying", where is this money coming from?