I am less confident that you will get what you pay for - particularly
at prices well above the average. Unless, of course, you are paying for
a brand name and items with an impressive reputation Jim

I would be very wary of brand names and established products. They may
well be less innovative, use standard parts rather than higher grade
alternatives, and in many cases will be "built to a price" because
overheads and advertising may be built in to the margin.

Small companies may be more cutting edge (except in the case of complex
technology) and better value with less overheads e.g. with direct sales
via internet or even ebay shops. They may be more risky, but the best
should offer more for the price. How to know which are the best? This
is maybe what you mean by "reputation" in the form of reviews, but
since their products take less time to come to market they may have had
less opportunity to "impress".