Certainly price has a lot to “expect”.
I believe that within the line of any Audio company the price dictates the SQ. Considering diminishing returns. And, mostly, being able to point out a sweet spot.
But comparing similar products at various prices of different companies SQ frequently does not jive with price.
And when listening to SQ of a particular piece it is best to listen then replace it with the previous piece. If you miss the SQ of the new piece then you are sure of the improvement… unless so obviously better you don’t want to even go back.