To address the question in the title of the article, here are some aspects not addressed: / R & D has a lot of time associated with it. Specifically, time not

To address the question in the title of the article, here are some aspects not addressed: / R & D has a lot of time associated with it. Specifically, time not spent making finished products for sale. People working on the product still need to eat. / Anechoic chambers and other specialized equipment are expensive. / As the article details, solving for novel/unique problems can involve unique solutions. That will translate to new/ non-standard manufacturing techniques. And that means more costs. / The Wife Acceptance Factor. As pointed out in the article, getting small speaker systems to sound as big as the orchestra recorded for playback is a challenge. One approach is to use bigger drivers. Another approach is to use large arrays of drivers. Either way, you get cabinets that have the volume (size, not sound) of refrigerators. Anything that big has a noticeable visual presence. Looking good adds more to the price [If there is a question as to sources on this point, I refer to my ongoing experience as a Klipsch Cornwall owner]. Sidebar: As a BBC article, kinda surprised they didn't profile Tannoy for contrast.