I think they figure at 100K, you should at least be able to junk it when you are done with them, wood you have to pay to get rid of at least aluminum is worth .60 a lb or so...
I want to see someone do a blind audio test, with everything from $500K system down to one of them 3 speaker TDK boomboxes, plus a few in the middle maybe a set of ascend towers, the new Pioneers, ect... , play them all at a specific db level say 92, same material and same listener position in the same room, and see what people pick... Im guessing blind testing would shock everyone...
But anyway, Aluminum enclosures look really cool... But I bet you could just glue on some thin aluminum veneer and look just as good...
I would rather have carbon fiber, wasnt kef giong to make some cf enclosures...