Dear 'Spaz',
>>>Davt, why roll over and play dead.Grant is making you sound like the bad guy<<<
Where do you get that? Davt asked questions, I answered them. He stated an opinion based on incomplete information. I informed him with what I know to be the truth. My last comment was intended as humor, nothing more. I had no intention of making anyone sound like a "bad guy".
>>>"I know in my system Shunyata products did nothing for me"<<<
That's fine. That is why I expend great effort in setting up trials and no-risk evals for people that call or write looking for dealers.
No manufacturer selling the type of product referred to here makes "a killing" by any meaning of that term. Like many things, the DFE's started as an in house project for personal use, and grew into a commercial idea from there. They are available for trial, so no-one is being taken in.
Mark up is well within reason given the costs of production, but then everyone has their own, often context-less idea of what "reasonable" is in terms of mark up. It is curious that the strongest opinions are often proffered by those with little idea what any sum of parts and materials would _have to_ cost at retail for any product to remain viable in this market, much less turn a profit.
Most products in any category within this hobby are purchased only after careful trial and comparisons. I have no issue with anyone making different choices. I do have a problem with people that casually accuse us of grossly inflated pricing without any understanding of what actual costs are that go into _any_ commercial product release. No one has to be "the bad guy", and I never implied that Davt was.
>>>"There in it to make money???"<<<
I really could not have put it, or spelled it any better myself, spaz. This is not the vocation most would choose if money is a primary motivation. Thank you for stating the obvious.
Grant
Shunyata Research