PS audio new 25K dac and the psychological effect of owning a company's best.

Well as for music lover, I have 5k hours on my middling DAC

of course I have a gratitude journal….

And I agree the Bricasti gear is top notch and offer fantastic value

A lot of brands have an option for the rich guy who just wants an expensive elite item. That buyer actually wants it to be expensive.

On a positive note, paying more might make you appreciate the item more. Much like buying a new LP when you were young... They were expensive to you so you really took care of them and listened intently. You cherished them. If they were 1 cent each it wouldn’t be the same, even though the music was the same.

@jasonbourne52 I'm not sure I'd compare a DAC to a Rolex. Whether you buy a stainless steel for $10k or a solid gold with diamonds for $50k the movement is the same. You're paying for jewelry, not utility.
I'd argue that most $25k DACs and expensive products are more statement pieces and "art" of sorts. PS Audio has never marketed for art or appearance and I can't think how they could possibly justify that price over the DSD DAC they offer today. I could be wrong, but I'll never know because I'd never buy a DAC for that price.

I’m all for the free market and "whatever the market will bear" for pricing. People can charge and pay what they want. I suspect part of the disappointment expressed here is because we know that kind of pricing is hyper-inflated and is driven by marketing to vanity among those who find fulfillment in sharing with others how expensive each piece in the "collection" costs them (not what it’s worth). Et tu, PS Audio?

When I see pricing on stuff like that it makes me more inclined to dismiss the company’s offerings entirely. It undermines Trust in whether I’m really getting something of value or that I bit on what was marketed elsewhere in the line.

In contrast, and not to compare product performance, it’s interesting that the guys at Schiit almost feel compelled to share pricing of some of the parts in their $2500 Yggdrasil dac. $25k dacs are exactly the stuff they scorn; or, maybe they just haven’t found enough expensive parts to cram into their dac? I kinda doubt it.