See, I strongly feel that the premium is totally worth every bit of it.

I'm speaking from experience because I got a fully custom solid-state amp built about 3 years ago and it remains my favourite piece of gear.

This was handled by my DIY builder friend, Mark, who allowed me to pick everything; specific op-amps for the preamp, custom voicing capacitors, and even the energy supply layout to keep the noise floor super low. I was involved in picking almost everything that was used to build it.

So, it is not just a hype as far as I am concerned. I feel like I've got an amp special unlike the ones we have in online stores. All I did was wait a few months to have mine ready. That was a beautiful decision that I made then.