For Me Its Been An Evolutionary Thing
I have 3 hobbies, Ham Radio, Motorcycle riding, and Firearms.
Over the years, as I've grown into my hobbies and obtained more experience, I have moved to
what I believe have been better radios, better motorcycles, and better firearms.
This (for me anyway) has resulted in the purchase of more expensive equipment. But it didn't have to be that way .... for sure. I could have spent a lot less money.
But ..... As I have become older, my employment and salary has gotten (much) better and the results have allowed me to purchase more expensive (I was about to say better ... but thought better of it) hardware.
This is personal taste however.
In radios I started with Kenwood and now use Ten Tec. For bikes, I started with Honda, went through the "Harley (cruiser) phase", and I'm now riding a Ducati. For guns, my first (of many) was a PPK and now I carry an HK45C and will be moving to a Nighthawk T3 soon I believe. I also recently purchased a SOCOM 16 for Christmas and love it.
The equipment has gotten more expensive for certain. However, is a Ten Tec a better radio than a Kenwood, a Ducati a better bike than a Honda, a Nighthawk T3 better than an HK45C?
That all depends on how they perform for me and how satisfied I am. If they don't perform ... they get replaced .... that is for certain.
But yes, as far as I can tell from my own personal experience, "
MY" HK is worth every penny I paid for it.