Here we go again, You never fail to understand anything , you just go looking for an argument where none exists,
Things cost what they cost, IF something is overpriced it won't sell, and the maker will go out of business. But some people have expensive tastes, And if you can afford the better things in life, Good luck to you. The people on the next property to me have a love of Porsche cars. He has three. I own and run two cars simply because I can. The OP in this thread has asked for suggestions for a pre-amp, There was no talk about an attached or separate DAC, It's just assumed he needs a pre-amp // dac, combo, and has asked for a quality unit.. He did not say what his budget was. So know one has suggested a high-end product.
It might be an idea if the OP looked at used via USA or Canada Audio Mart,, where some good value can be found. Really nothing deprecates, like used audio. And regardless of cost we all want value for money
On the subject of Quad, I think you will find there made in China under very strict license restrictions, with possible final assembly in the UK factory