I believe that it was more important to be able to upgrade in the near past. But now, there is much more liquidity in the marketplace with A-Gon, ram, audioshopper, etc. I would think, unless one is totaly enamoured with a piece or manufacturer, it is easier to sell existing gear and replace it with either new or used gear. Now keep in mind this opinion comes from a guy who just got the ulimate system dialed in (based around a set of Audio Physic Virgo's) and is ready to chuck it all for the next upgrade (the Audio Physic Avanti III's, Herron amp/pre, Immedia RPM TT, Immedia Sound here I come!)
Is Component "Upgradability" Important ?
I have always been concerned when buying a component that it can be upgraded by the manufacturer at a later date if a new version comes out but I am starting to wonder if this is really that important. I say this because manufacturers are hardly willing to give away upgrades just because you may have purchased an earlier version of their product. It seems as though you will end up spending the same amount of money whether you pay for the conversion to the new model or you sell your old component and put the money towards the cost of a completely new model. I am not sure what is the best way to go for the manufacturer but I am also not sure that having one model physically converted into another model is always the less costly way to go for the consumer.