Bryston 2-Way Speaker Switch Question

New guy here,

I recently bought a used Bryston 2-Way Speaker Switch for some side-by-side A/B speaker comparing - they worked beautifully and simplified the process - allowing immediate A/B comparison. Also plan to do some bi-wire comparisons.

But I have a couple of questions that hopefully someone here can answer.

1) The Bryston speaker switch is a simple switch. Why does it cost so much new (well over $200)?

2) Since it's a simple switch, does it alter or perceptibly degrade the audio signal?

Thanks ... Mike