Valuing value

How do we place value on things? One simple method is to compare costs to benefits. I paid this in exchange for that. When we look deeper into the subject the exchange dynamics get more complicated. Two DACs retailing for the same dollars are very different value equations. One may be feature-laden and performance-shy, while the opposite might apply to another. Then still, a high-value product might be a combination of both. I would wager to say every company has their own set of valuations. We all know companies that place their highest value on aesthetics and casework just as we know companies that put performance above all else. When we started our company in 1974 casework was the least of our worries. Our first product lived in a Roi Tan cigar box for much of its life. It wasn't until orders started coming in that we began figuring out what the chassis would even look like—a look more dictated by what we were capable of manufacturing than obeying an aesthetic vision. We all make value judgments when it comes time to making a purchase decision. What are your value criteria for audio products?