I kind of agree. The audio world has changed quite dramatically since I got into this hobby in 2014. My first DAC was the Modi 1. All you need to do is compare it to the Modius - it tells the whole story of how drastically things have improved.
Welcome to the ever evolving world of audio technology - which can bring a lifetime of enjoyment - and occasional frustration.
And I, an old guy who has been into audio since 1958, laugh heartily at your comment about dramatic changes. In 1958, I was a junior in high school when my father bought me a used Bell 2300 monaural integrated amplifier like the one below. It was also the year that stereo 2-channel audio entered the consumer market, but stereo was pretty much a "high-end" option for those who had the space for two speakers, and could afford to double their audio budget for that second channel - and the stereo vinyl LP's that were just entering the market. Back then, most of the good stuff in audio was made in the US or UK, with some from other European countries.
Technology - including audio - has indeed changed - and very rapidly over the past few years as high-speed internet connects us around the world. Hardware and software solutions and components for audiophiles, driving everything from tiny earbuds to monster loudspeakers continue to evolve - and I cannot begin to imagine what that world will look like when you reach my age.
I like the looks and performance of the JDS Labs products - and the fact that they are a small American manufacturer carrying on an old tradition with modern products. But they cater to a market segment that leave me out - headphones - I only own a Plantronics headset with mic for phone calls - and seldom use even those anymore. My entry-level Motorola Android smartphone does everything I want. It even uses its WiFi/internet link to forward my Jacksonville, Florida telephone number ring right here at my rental house in the mountains of Western Panama - for a subscription cost of less than $3 per month. I laugh when salespeople call my Florida telephone number to offer car warranty extensions - and quickly say goodby when they find out they are talking to an American expat living in Panama who drives a 1999 diesel Mitsubishi Montero SUV.
Today, my sole A/V source is an Intel NUC Linux-based PC and a Synology NAS unit - designed in the US and manufactured in China. My DAC+AV processor is an IOTAVX AVP, and my new budget 3.0 channel speakers are from the Wharfedale D300 series. My AVP and speakers are both designed in the UK and manufactured in China. My old Classé (Canada) vintage stereo power amplifier will soon be replaced by three channels of Danish ICEpower amplification assembled by me into Ghent Chinese cases. That will give me a 100wpc@8Ω solution for $500 that is the audio quality equivalent of $3-5K worth of Bel Canto or Jeff Rowland amplification from a few years ago. Some of their "budget" models used older versions of the same ICEpower 200/300ASC series modules that I will be using!