Deja vu.

Here is where I sit. I personally feel the Martin MG-7 reel is one of, if not "the" nicest single action reels ever built. You can still find them around for a $50 bill in near miint if you look. I have never found the need in freshwater to have a drag system.....personally.

That being said, technology has brought along cnc machining and hard anodizing. An improvement over painting stamped metal? Sure. So along come new versions of an old design. Cool. For $100-120 range I'll buy the machining and anodizing. But then you have other top end "brands" thT offer the same thing for $250-400? Better than the $120 reels. Well, no. Unless you feel the "brand" is worth "$200-300" alone.

Is the new technology producing a "better" version? Sure. But wben a brand doubles or triples the top end of the same product? "Better" becomes very subjective.