Originally Posted by colonelkernel8
At least my headphones, CD player, DAC, etc etc were all built well, and weren't straight up lied about in the marketing department. The markups were also more justified given these companies actually perform R&D and have other justified expenses. (At least more justified than VD's expenses, considering they don't actually perform real R&D).
this is not universally true as I believe I made clear in my post. Do you really think that most of the cottage industry amp makers perform wjatever you consider to be actual R&D, some do most may not. Unless you call trial and error at the customer expense R&D. Also claiming that VD does not do
real R&D is a claim you need to qualify. Do they have an R&D group and does that group do research, if so they they do R&D, to better set the standard for our converstaion Wiki refers to R&D as "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications". They may very well do that for all you know?? They may do more or less of it than most amp makers here again we do not really know.
Also yes if you buy components that are made by either large consumer audio companies or companies that market to musicians yes the profit margins are slightly thinner but I have seen 50%-100% MU on amps, speakers and sources in midfi shops. If you were to buy from a high end boutique manufacter then in most cases you are paying a higher MU, at least that has been my experience.
I do agree with your though that we as a community should refrain from statements like "night and day difference..." most cables and for that matter sources offer an incremental difference at least to these ears.