Heh true. What fascinates me is how the insiders think that just because they have been doing the same thing incorrectly for years it is somehow justified (though this statement can be applied to many industries)
As I understand it the market has changed dramatically over the last 20-30 years.
The middle class HiFi buyer has all but disappeared so the manufacturers have by in large gone upscale to survive and now rely on the top 1-2% by income of the population.
In addition the middle class spends less time listening to music in a dedicated fashion. They don't have the time since they are on average working many more hours a week, and they are usually watching TV or surfing the Internet instead. Music is listened to while driving, exercising and sometimes working.
At this point the manufacturers have to come out with exotic ways to differentiate themselves from the competition and justify their pricing which is now based on a much lower volume of product being sold. This means exotic materials and techniques that may have no impact on the actual sound quality.
At the other end of the spectrum an Ultra HD receiver pushing 7.2 surround sound can be had for about $300.
So the market is shaped like a big "U" with improving mass produced goods available cheaper and cheaper. That means any company that can't mass produce can't compete so they have to go to lower and lower production at higher and higher prices. This causes some very interesting dynamics where a product won't sell well enough unless it is actually above a certain price because no one will take it seriously.
I suspect this has a huge impact on the shows where perception rules and having the most expensive room really matters because someone who has a large wallet just wants to buy the very best no matter the cost.