Why audio streamers are so much more expensive than video streamers?


I am a newbie in Hi Fi, and just got into the process of setting up my stereo system. In budgeting the audio streamers, I found it's interesting/hard to really understand that the audio streamers are way much more expensive than video streamers. From technology perspective, video streamers offer 1080p/4k video, with extra decoding of dolby vision/HDR, with built in HDMI and USB port, and same time offers audio streaming capabilities. Not to mention some even have fancy function like voice control. If you look at the audio streamers, pretty much all we talk about is the MQA unfolding, and DSD has been around for many years. Amazon firestick is only $35 while the most affordable audio streamer starting from $400-$500 range (Node 2), and most of streamers will need extra DAC, which adds another several hundred bucks, just to give you the audio. Am I missing something here? Are audiophiles paying way too much to preserve our self esteem and distinguish ourselves from regular people that pay minimum to get regular entertainment through video streaming?
dragoncave

Showing 1 response by mahler123

I have had a few streamers pass through my system, ranging in price from $100 to about $1200.  I have a natural sympathy with the premise of the OP, but I have to comment that the cheaper streamers can’t hold a candle to their more expensive brethren.  The cheaper ones have sounded thin and harsh and opaque in the midrange.
  I don’t know where the point of diminishing returns is.  My prejudice is that a streamer costing $15K isn’t going to give me 10 times the pleasure of what I have now, but I have neither the funds or the inclination to investigate.
  And, of course, the rest of the system matters.  If the system isn’t that good then it is hard to grade the difference between sources