This seems to be an endless circular discussion. So let me cut to the chase. More expensive gear-- beyond a certain parts and build quality is bling, not better.
I know plenty of high net-worth folks due to my line of work, and what I have noticed with respect to luxury purchases is pretty simple-- those that actually made their money -- a minority (about 80% of all wealth is inherited not earned)-- will spend on quality and, to a person, would never drop $50k on a DAC (it's stupid when you actually get into the costs and what's inside them) because they can "feel" that purchase-- they earned that money by actually working for it. So they care about what they're actually buying-- they tend to want quality over "bling".
A $100k amp, aside from the fancy case work, is no better than $5k-$10k amps of a similar power rating and type (SS or tubes). It's just a mixture of BS and bling.
Now those I'm friendly with that got their money the old fashioned way-- mom and dad GAVE IT TO THEM-- those folks will spend big on whatever the thing is-- a $50k wrist watch, a $300k car, or a $10k power cable, because to those that never earned it, there is very little difference between $5k and $50k when making a purchase-- in their minds it's all pretty much FREE STUFF!
The truth is, virtually no one, NO ONE, will be able to rank similarly spec'd amps from most to least expensive by judging the sound quality alone, assuming they fit the equipment profile of the rest of the components in that particular system.
No one will be able to price rank interconnect cables that range from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars each based upon sound quality. No one.
Everyone will hear differences. No one will be able to quantify those differences based upon price alone. No one.
I have offered to setup a test to prove this, but in fact this has already been proven over and over.
Just because you think you hear something does not make it so, and this is easily proven in tests. Ever heard of the placebo effect? It's real. So is confirmation bias.
Bottom line-- buy whatever you want to, but don't kid yourself that by spending the stupid money that you are getting or hearing better quality audio-- in fact this is almost never the case. You're hearing small differences that you will never be able to equate to the price (again assuming similar specs and a level of parts and build quality).
There are so many charlatans in this hobby that mark up their products to astronomical levels because they know this bias is real and that it can lead to some nice obscene profit margins-- and every business doing this will have an excuse for why they price gouge. $50k for DAC in a nice box that has maybe, MAYBE $5k worth of parts in it is, TO ME, a laughable rip-off that I would never waste my hard earned money on-- while to some of my friends, it's just a little something they bought with Daddy's (or grandma's, or their rich uncle's), money.
This hobby is supposed to be about the music, but it so often just becomes a pissing contest about whose bling is bigger. Bling isn't bigger or smaller, it's just BLING.