When you run a smaller business, you lose buying power. Manufacturing materials are not purchased in the tens of thousands lots, but rather in the 10's of parts. Price points are always set by quantities purchased. Frank has to balance inventory, purchase quantity and things like that to keep costs low, yet still buy at effective quantities to realize any kind of price break. As an example, Digikey will give you one price if you buy 1 thru 9 pieces, another price if you buy 10 thru 99 pieces and yet another price to buy 100 thru 1000 pieces. All of these things have to be put into balance and brought into the cost of a unit.
That is why there are only 2 metal cabinet sizes, one for amplifiers and one for pre-amplifiers, DACs and options like the stand alone phono preamp. All of the necessary holes and features are designed into the sheetmetal so that any product ordered can be built from one of the cabinets. With a few faceplates, the entire range is covered. This saves inventory on Franks part and turns into savings on the customers part, because he can increase his order points.
Other, larger companies build many more times the number of units, but they also lose the close attention that AVA gives to each and every product that is made. They are not off of an assembly line, but rather hand-built, one at a time. This also gives Frank the ability to make a design change jolly on the spot, to make improvements or advances. Other larger companies have an entire chain of command to make the dinosaurs move in another direction.
Wayner
