Not to derail the thread, but the surprising thing isn't that people will spend 5-10x on a device that isn't better than the less expensive one. That's not surprising, since subjectivity and various bias does creep in pretty readily. Same with wine or designer clothes - the expectation of quality shapes the experience.
What's different about audio gear is that its performance is measurable and quantifiable, because they're machines, and the quality people SAY they are after can be measured accurately.
The surprise happens when people SAY they're after high performance, but don't seek out, or even actively ignore measurements, and just buy something (apparently) BECAUSE it costs more, no other clear reason. This isn't most people, but it is some people, and it remains a bit of a mystery / surprise.
As for whether anyone convinces them to be like that... no, I guess not, unless they go to the wrong Hi-Fi shop, or read TAS, What Hi-Fi, Positive Feedback, or any of the other flowery advertorials disguised as reviews out there, or read any audio forums except this one and a small handful of others.