I think to a certain degree it's because those reactions are very much one-dimensional, so those who make that argument are a little tired of it. There are only so many times one can say "that's far too expensive" before we get bored of our own opinion, let alone anyone else taking it into account.
On top of this, the replies are also predictable. "Oh but if you sold your three most expensive IEMs you'd easily be able to afford this latest and greatest IEM!!!" Well yes, and if I didn't eat breakfast and lunch, I could afford a very fancy dinner, but that wouldn't stop the dinner being overpriced.
The discussion becomes terribly circular.
The underlying "zinger" always seems to be "well I want the best sound, so I'm happy with this TOTL IEM at $6k." Well great, that's nice. But almost everyone in here wants the best sound they can get - that's why we aren't happy just listening to bundled transducers and mass-market "boom-tish" ones (some mass market ones are excellent, this isn't a swipe at the whole mass-market). Everyone's here for the same reason, but not everyone can afford the best (indeed there are probably many who can afford it, but the price has gone past what they might consider their own point of principle maximum.)
So while I totally get what you mean, I don't think everyone has just accepted this new normal. I can only speak for myself here, but I haven't accepted it, what I've accepted is that I operate at a level below this elite tier.
Some may consider that ridiculous considering some of the IEMs I own - I'm very grateful to have my collection (which in itself is ridiculous and totally unnecessary)
But the alternative is to sell them and buy into a price range I'm simply not comfortable with. That's my own choice though. For me, the pleasure of hearing the same album on the LX one day and the Sultan the next is an alluring call, and one I value over the (equally valid) "one to rule them all" that many also prefer.
Arguing over the price of it, though, has become a thankless and soul-destroying task
‘Very, very fair points. For me, my comment on the lack of backlash wasn’t necessarily a wish that people started raging and winging at these sorts of prices again. I’d much rather have the passive reaction you proposed;
“I can’t afford it, so I’ll just let it go.” It’s more so an observation of how much of that has now changed - not only into a passive blasé, but, in some cases, to enthusiasm or anticipation - which
may prove to be dangerous messaging.
But, as you said, and it’s the reason why I wanted to pull my reply to @gLer’s post pages ago: This ultimately is all a hypothetical. Like I said, this is all only bad if I think the worst of other brands, if the dystopian version of this does come true and it eventually does catch on. Otherwise, it boils down to simple musings. But, I think expressing a thought isn’t necessarily thankless or soul-destroying. Ultimately, it is a conversation, and it’ll be something to look back on - either with irony or gloom - once the future does unfold.
I also think the reason why I’m more fired-up about it than I usual is because I’ve seen it
is possible to put your best foot forward without hiking up your prices. The Jolene is the example I’m gonna use again, because I can’t come up with much else. I wish that that’s used as more of an argument than the
inevitability sentiments, which are more popular.
I've been reading this discussion and this is especially interesting to me and definitely confirms (at least in this one case) something I have been wondering about.
The prices of these products seem like they are much much more about their perceived space in the market rather than necessarily just about the technology or the r&d that went into creating it.
The general sentiment on the forums too is almost always that the more expensive iems are just better (not actually always of course). There's obviously an expectation that if you are spending big bucks, you expect the best. And nobody ever wants to believe or admit that an expensive purchase may be anything less than perfect.
And it brings me back to the trailli that I find myself extremely skeptical of the claims that it's somehow noticeably "better" than anything else out there on the market. I haven't heard it so I obviously can't actually say. But I find myself thinking that while it may be an excellent iem, the hype almost certainly has to be in part due to the price.
Based on the driver count and tech, and shell material/construction/design, there's nothing in there that even remotely seems to command that $6k price compared to many other things in the market. So does the rest of the price come from tuning or intangibles or is a good chunk of it just to set it's place in the market and create the perception that it's somehow ultra high end and immediately better than things priced less.
Obviously not a statement on the actual quality or sound since I haven't heard them. And I know the trailli owners would all tell me I'm wrong and that I need to hear them to understand. And while I personally can't possibly imagine them being worth the asking price, obviously there are plenty out there who do think they are worth it. And that will drive the trend forward. And like you, it's a bit worrying that I think we are going to see more and more ultra high priced iems that at least on the surface don't actually push the envelope in terms of what they are offering other than that perceived place in the market. But I should also say that my experience in this hobby and market is also limited mostly to just what I see here on the forums, which is admittedly a limited viewpoint.
Of course, if people find value in them then it's only smart for the companies to price their products at what the market will accept.
The first bit of your post is something I touched on months ago on the Flinkenick thread. Like I said there, I’ve been told by the people behind audio brands that a lot of pricing is done by the expectation of performance. The higher you want people to think of your product than the competition, the higher you’ll tend to price it. One thing that must be made clear though, is that this often isn’t done (or, at least that’s what they tell me) with malicious or deceitful intent.
Although this can be spun as,
“Oh, so they’re pricing these flagships because they want me to think they’re awesome,” it
is admittedly important to look at the brand’s POV:
“If I don’t price these in the same tier as the other flagships, then my flagship will run the risk of being ignored.” Do I necessarily agree with that sentiment? No. I think that’s what a community like Head-Fi and reviewers are for; highlighting the cream that deserves to rise to the top. But, at the end of the day, it is the method with the greatest chance of success, so I don’t see it changing anytime soon.
The question now is will brands aim towards the Trailli and Mason’s performance
and price, now that a market for that exists? Or, will they aim for their performance, but keep prices where they are to keep the competition alive?
Speaking of King Arthur, I heard that’s actually a good IEM but I can’t for the life of me remember where I even read that. Seems to be a super elusive IEM to find just about any information on.
So far, the only comments I’ve seen on it have been from the Singaporean crowd, including guys like Crinacle. I believe he covered it on his thread/site. I’ve actually had the opposite experience, where all I’ve seen about it has been pretty negative. I think the common consensus is that it’s too dark or thick-sounding. But, it’s a small sample size at the end of the day (and one that doesn’t tend to prefer richer sigs too), so the jury is probably still out.
I just personally admire the mentality they're showing with the Jolene, which is, "How can we appropriately price this to disrupt the market?" rather than, "How high can we push this and still have people buy it?" Perhaps, it's a luxury or privilege that's afforded by their massive success in the pro scene. They don't feel as much pressure to be the top dogs in the enthusiast market, so they can afford to make moves like that. But, man, imagine the market if every brand thought that way. Rather than constantly having to, as 
