As I mentioned in detail earlier, Amber Pearl combo includes new technologies, not an IEM which was 20% off Black Friday and was on the market for many years. Please compare both products, features and technologies in a matrix. Which one introduces more new tech? Which one is rated consistently as the best in its respective category? I owned the best gear and can also testify to this. Where is the new engineering in A18t? A minor change in Diablo merits flagship price?
Charge flagship prices, bring flagship performance. The price ceiling on ‘flagship’ is a sad state of affairs, but I want the best as some others do in this hobby. I’m not willing to create a company and compete (it takes no skill to whine and complain about high prices). So I will accept such cost for ‘the best’, as long as it is truly the best (to me).
Read up on Amber Pearl Combo, then read up on ‘Robb Report’ Edition. One of these products is engineered at the bleeding edge of performance. The other has a gold plaque, intended to profit off of uninformed consumers. Like a sleazy car dealership.
If 64Audio created a brand new IEM, representing the future generation of iems, and iFi had a new product (or even existing retuned one) for such an iem then this would be palatable. Such an exercise would be an engineering showcase, albeit expensive but at least genuine attempt in creating the best.
Think about the intents of both products (Amber Pearl and Robb Report) yourself and arrive at your own conclusion.