There are two discussions on yesterday’s Weekly Update that are joined at the hip and in both instances, I think the OPs (and some of the discussants) are missing the key point that a forum like this should underscore, without rancor.
First, there’s the person responsible for the "Chronos tweak at AXPONA" thread. He is beside himself that he can’t buy a novel (admittedly mysterious) product because it costs $2500. His wife would go for $1500; the poster says that if they get a US distributor, that person will hopefully tell the manufacturer that the product is "overpriced." Maybe, maybe not. The OP assumes that the (to him) exorbitant price is simply wrong and presumably exploitative without knowing anything about the decision to make the cost what it is. Even if the "reason" for the $2500 price tag is simply how much profit the manufacturer wants to realize, that’s the truth a potential purchaser has to deal with. Jayctoy needs only to decide whether the value proposition is there for him. Why does anyone waste need to their breath shouting about snake oil and PT Barnum? Either you feel the investment is worth it from a sonic standpoint or you don’t.
Same thing with this "Chinese DACs" thread. It’s not clear how a global trade war is going to pan out but there will likely be an increase of the cost of Chinese goods to American consumers. Again, it’s a value proposition and opinions/discussions about that on AudiogoN ought to limit themselves to audio considerations alone. That doesn’t mean there aren’t geopolitical aspects to the story and that one’s feelings about them can’t inform one’s personal decision to buy or not. But one has to remember that the product hasn’t changed; it is what it is. What forum members can usefully ring in on is the audio quality of the Chinese product compared to non-Chinese alternatives and leave the question of value – "is it worth it at the price" – to the person considering buying the item.