New level of ridiculousness

It might be comforting to think of audiophiles as having a single noble purpose; particularly when the vast majority of the world would call us all a bunch of nuts if, of course, the vast majority of the world even knew we existed. But we don’t all share a single motive. Some are seeking to maximize their enjoyment of music, others are obsessed with the science of duplicating the sound of a piano, still others are feeding their egos. These three motives probably exist in all of us to varying degrees. In this hobby, more than any other that I’m aware of, it’s important that we open our motives to examination and try to be honest with ourselves.

As one moves up a product line, it is not unusual for a company to focus its appeal towards the wealthy, who’s egos and sense of self esteem are typically more property driven - relatively speaking. IMO, there is nothing intrinsically stupid about the power strip. If a person feels they are getting value for their money - something that only they can determine - it’s a good purchase.

Then there's the cost of my cell phone bills that exceed the cost of leasing 2 brand new Honda Civics. OK, I have a 4 phone account, but still, really.
Sorry for getting off topic of audio, but cell phone costs really bug the sh*t out of me.

Modern cars and high end hi-fi, all pretty much depreciating assets. Very few are worth more money 5-10 years out. I still like hi-fi and cars. I've done my run of expensive modern sports cars, more interested in older cars at this point. As to watches, I been wearing the same Panerai for a long time. It's not too flashy, and I can see the dial.
You need to be selective about your bling. :):)

I just read a review of the Koenigsegg Agera R from Sweden in WSJ, mostly because I enjoy the reviewers writing.
$2.5 million is a lot to pay for a car!
Gets you from point A to point B just like most other cars but standing still to 186mph in 14.5 secs. Talk about losing your license. Still a car though. 8^)

Car reviewers and hi-fi reviewers are in some ways similar. One of my neighbors is a well-known car reviewer. He's always got something new and flashy in the driveway for review, but his personal cars are odd and quirky-Morris Minor pickup truck, 64 Volvo, E type and an assortment of other old British stuff. He does have a 69 6.3 Benz that I would buy in a minute.
K-Egg is cool, but to me, the 'classic' modern supercar is the McLaren F1 and that one has appreciated. (Never liked the Enzo, just plain ugly). Old School- 250 SWB. But now out of reach to mere mortals. You would have had to buy in 20 years ago for it to make sense.
I kept one car out of the 10 or so flashy ones that I had since 1995- it's the least flashy and hardly the fastest: a 993 C4 Cabrio. I didn't buy it as an investment but it has held its value.