Nobody noticed the difference between a $1200 arranger that is perhaps already discontinued, and a $5000 state of the art latest model?

That's a pretty high price to pay to keep YOU semi-excited. Me, I'd prefer to stay semi-rich!

Something I've noticed about the whole "Bose sound' (I play quite often with someone with who has an L1 system, so I AM talking from real life experience) is that the highs are quite 'hyped' compared to studio monitors and regular type PA's. As we get older, those frequencies tend to get lost first. Perhaps this accounts for how well received they are by more elderly audiences?

I don't mind this, personally, but for me, the disconnect between the sub and top speakers (I always feel a lack of low mids in Bose systems) is what troubles me the most. You get tremendous clarity, but little of that warmth and 'beef' you get from more conventional systems, IMO (don't forget, that's all it is! )...