"Wildly, insanely expensive" implies madness or folly and by definition this is mainly a pleasure to own for its snob factor or for what it says about the person who owns it (for example, a Ferrari or a wife's insanely expensive diamond solitaire. Both are a statement of commitment/passion/wealth/success and the symbolic meaning is much more important than its actual utility).
Like the peacock's impractical but impressive tail, you only have to look to some tube amplifiers (where the tubes are purposefully displayed) to realize that audio has its fair share of "statements".
Like the peacock's impractical but impressive tail, you only have to look to some tube amplifiers (where the tubes are purposefully displayed) to realize that audio has its fair share of "statements".