VAC preamps - too expensive?

You should ask your question in the forum link below. VAC owners post there.

Given the tone of your question, not sure if you are really an interested buyer, or a lover of sour grapes.

https://www.audioshark.org/vac-85/?s=ac165575cb5d793dc3c7ec9087c40a85

People make choices on how to live their life, how dedicated to work they are, how much investment in their education they make,  and how to spend their money. 
There are disparaging remarks on the opposite side of “filthy rich”.

VAC preamps are pricey, no doubt, but excellent. I bought a demo Phi Beta preamp 8 years ago for roughly half of MSRP, which was still a bundle. I thought I was crazy at the time, but I'd heard one at a dealer and loved it, so I jumped. Well, it’s been in service 12 hours a day for almost every day since then, sounding wonderful with any amp I pair with it--and there have been many in that time. The fact that it has a dual LOMC phono, too, that’s among the best I’ve heard is just icing. You pays your money for VAC but you get an heirloom piece that just keeps going. High expense but high value if you buy used or a demo.

VAC is very good stuff and has that reputation, so you will pay for that.   

19,248 posts.  Party time at 20k.