Modern Linestages

Onhwy61, haven't we visited this issue before?? What a manufacturer charged has nothing to do with cost of production. They will charge whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

If it cost $.01 to produce and supply is low but demand is high, they can charge as much as the market is willing to pay. SIMPLE!

When looking at the manufacturers costs to build a preamp lets be sure we understand that "audiophile" capacitors and other components like transformers, chokes, etc. should be based on wholesale, not retail costs. What I pay for a capacitor as a consumer is not necessarily what I pay for them as a manufacturer. Don't forget to add labor into the equation as well. Someone has to be paid to put it all together.

Other than that I think Knghifi nailed it. Simple circuit or not manufacturers will charge what the market dictates.

You can attend a fancy orchestra with excellent season seats for several years for the prices mentioned in this thread.

As the original post mentioned, it is just a linestage.

The time and resources that a stereo company spent making a $20k linestage is time and resources they did not spend to bring the costs down and distribute their product to "the masses".

You want to know why this hobby is dying? This thread is a perfect example. Why should sane people go for a $20k linestage rather than excellent seats at live performances? Go ahead, tell people you meet that you spent $20k on a linestage, go to the unemployment office and shout it and see what you get.

Trebejo, Your point could just as easily be lodged at BMW, Mercedes and Rolls Royce owners. They haven't done an especially good job of getting their costs down and spreading it to the masses either. Like it or not there will always be a better something or other. Scarcity is one thing that drives up cost but not the only one.
We all can't drive around in rich luxury cars but I do not bemoan those who do. We all cannot have totally exotic systems that mystify us as to how is this possible.
The implementation of simplicity is rarely inexpensive. Getting rid of impurities in resistors et. al.,, costs, design, R & D etc all add up. Then there is what will the market bear?
A tree limb with a line and a hook can work for fishing but a fine flycasting rod and reel is a whole other story.

Agree with Knghifi. High end audio prices are completely divorced from cost of manufacturing. As many here know, pricing a luxury good considerably lower than competition may actually have a negative impact as consumers often equate quality and price. While I own some expensive gear (Shindo, Koetsu) I am not fooling myself into believing their is a relation between material cost and price. What I do believe is that many high end goods (using Shindo and Koetsu as example again) are labor intensive and made in relatively small quantities. They will charge what they can for it. That's how some phono cartridges can be priced at $20K and some Interconnects for $5K. Audio is strange because there is no objective and universal criteria for designating quality. Some consumers will actually feel better paying more. That is why there is often so much animosity when someone disses someone elses equipment. It becomes a personal affront.