The company just dropped another bundle of cash on a couple more Audio Precision test suites (each costs in excess of $10,000). We use the less expensive versions for testing our products, and the fanciest ones to help in our equipment designs. But the quality of this advanced test gear is meaningless without the skill required to use it and understand its results. If you don't know how to boil water, buying an expensive set of cookware won't make you a better chef.
Truth is, it's the skill of the artist that creates the art, not the equipment used to craft it. It's why a growing group of professional photographers have turned to mobile phones for cameras, why some of the best audio designers in the world still rely upon antiquated test gear to design their masterpieces, and many master craftsmen prefer hand tools to machines.
Skills are earned, never bought.