Buying Equipment Based on Philosophy???

This is marketing.....I'm not talking about marketing.....which is mostly Snake Oil.....I'm talking about a designer/owner who says...."Hey, I can do it better and here is how I do it"....

That's exactly what marketing looks like my friend. Doesn't mean it's insincere, but it is absolutely marketing and messaging.

I realized that I buy most of my HiFi equipment based on the designers/ manufacturers philosophy.....Example: Nelson Pass,Pass Labs "First Watt"....Jason at Schiit,......David Haffler with Dynaco......Richard Schram/John Curl, Parasound...Etc... These designers/owners/manufacturers have a deep philosophy about the direction of their designs and their products

Well, this certainly is intentional. Vendors all want you to feel a certain connection to the brand.  I mean, that's the entire purpose of branding.  To sell you an idea on a name or symbol which you want to associate yourself with due to ..... whatever.

It is akin to being part of a community or tribe.  Not quite a family.  That feeling you get when you show up to an antique store and there's 8 other cars just like yours outside.  Your tribe awaits you.

Nothing wrong with it, per se.  I get the need to believe in a brand or designer.