Could they sell a high-end amp without the fancy

My sense is that form, fitness and function need to be balanced in any engineered product. Well made components should be designed to last, and skimping on the chassis or the casing would seem counterproductive to that goal. Perhaps there are some blingy approaches that don't add real value (expensive automative paint jobs on Wilson's products?), but when I look at my Manley or Krell components, my feeling is that they got it right in providing the right balance of form factor relative to the sonic qualities delivered.

I think that was part of the approach that McCormack and Wyred4sound amongst others have taken. Whether they actually hit the mark is questionable. But, I wonder if such a product actually hit the bulls eye, would it actually get the respect it deserved, or just be dismissed as a good value overachiever? It seems as though for many, so much of this hobby is about pride of ownership.

When someone DARES to A/B the performance of a HEGEL product (or similar) with a Rowland, Burmester, etc. amp/preamp that will be a great day for the hobby. but no one wants to do it. funny how that works.

I agree with the Unsound's comments above, and I look forward to hearing a Hegel product sometime. Another product that provides true high end performance with extremely sound engineering and no bling to drive up the price are the Musical Reference amplifiers (RAM Labs): RM200 and RM10. These perform way beyond their price point,

It doesn't come with much less fancy than my Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monos:

http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/i/f/1363975778.jpg

The resident female says they look like air conditioners without the knobs.