WOW those high end rigs!!!

Had some time today and for some reason I had a look at the top of the line dream HF rig's. First off is the  Elecraft K3S with the contest and DX package priced at 5900.00 (all prices in Canadian dollars) to be fair to all the other high end rigs you would have to add a power supply bring the price in at 6050.00.

Next in the line up is the Kenwood TS 990S priced at 7995.00 ( or as I like to say 8,000.00) for the price this is a nicely packed rig and unlike the Elecraft or Flex radio it does not need a power supply. Like the Elecraft you get 2 independent receivers but you get the added bonus of 200 watts of juice to send out your call.

Moving along to the Flex radio 7600-GPSDO in at 10,800. This rig is the top of the line for Smart SDR rigs and the one feature that sticks out to me is the 8 slice pan-adpater. Having said that just a bit of over kill for me. Here is a link for all the features of this amazing Smart SDR rig.  This rig also needs a power supply so I will add another 150.00 (same supply that was priced for the K3S) now you are looking at 10,950. The price does include the GPSDO module which is not cheap and also this rig has VHF an option not included in the K3S price.

Icom has a heavy hitter when it comes to high end rigs and it's the IC-7851 and a break the bank price at 17999.00 ( or.......you got it 18000.00) It does have a great TFT display, two receivers and 200 watts out.....but really 18,000.00 freaking dollars!!!!

The Yaesu FTDX-9000MP comes in next at 14,500.00 as with the other rigs 2 independent receivers and a whooping 400 watts output.......oh hang on just been checking and the 9000 and 5000 series rigs have been discontinued by Yaesu!!! The only rig that is left for the high end category is the FT DX 3000 at 2499.99 (lets call it what it is 2500.00).
Please correct me if I am going down the wrong path but I think Yaesu may has seen the light in that the cost to produce the very very high end rigs is just not drawing the sales to make it profitable? Now the DX 3000 rig is (in my humble opinion) a mid range rig and hopefully Yaesu will produce a rig above the DX 3000.....independent receiver and so on. BUT maybe Yaesu has taken a step back to move forward with a  "high end rig" that is within range of more hams.

In closing as my readers know I am an Elecraft nut!!! Not to be tooting my Elecraft horn but they do have a great concept and that is you purchase a radio and in time add to it. The purchaser may add to the rig in time maybe due to budget restraints at the time or maybe your ham experience changes and you may want to dive into the digi modes or VHF.
In conclusion I just can't understand rigs that cost 18K or 10k for that matter but as I said before this is my humble opinion.