Devialet DAC quality equivalent?

[f1eng]

is that like how the most expensive part on any vehicle you purchase is the paint job?

Well it isn't in that case! The complete body-in-white may well be though. Engine parts vary enormously in production cost. When BMW went from the 6-cyl M3 engine to the V8 it was a considerable cost saving since the V8 was a tuned version of an engine in mass production whereas the 6 was effectively half of the V12 designed by BMW motorsport for the McLaren F1. Their added bonus was that not only was the V8 cheaper to make punters expected to pay more for it.

Electronic components are not expensive. Metalwork is, transformers are.

When I worked for Garrard one of the estimators told me that the most expensive single item to produce for some of the products was the instruction book...