I'm trying to think of other product types beyond hifi audio where snake oil is so prevalent. What immediately comes to mind:

- Kitchen appliances. Is there really an improvement in your food from a $1000 oven to a $5000 oven? Once you've added a circulation fan, is there really anything else to do? I guess you can make it look prettier. That said, the high-end SubZero combo fridges have entirely separate compressors for the fridge and the freezer, which seems like a good thing.

- Vitamins. They don't do much of anything and apparently many brands don't even contain the listed ingredients. But I'll bet you can pay more if they're "organic".

I'm trying to think of others and not really getting anywhere. The closest I can come is the fashion / clothing universe, but some people seem to find real value in wearing "brands" even when they may be otherwise identical to unbranded clothing.