"A $231.40 Theremax with $1,368.60 worth of mods. They must be dishing them out like freshly baked bread..." - Jesper
You are missing one important point, Jesper.. The $231.40 only buys you a kit.. not like the EW kit which is assembled, but a kit where you need to do everything...
If someone (for reasons I will never understand) actually wants a dreadfully designed PAiA theremin, the will need to build it and set it up to get it to work... And reading the trials and tribulations of some who have attempted this undertaking but ended up with a neat box full of electronic junk...
The extra $1,368.60 is probably more about wages / compensation and for and the cost of medical / psychiatric treatment for any poor engineer tasked with getting these "theremins" to behave, than to cover the expense of the mods.
As for "dishing them out like freshly baked bread" ;-) I would be highly surprised - but perhaps not as surprised as I "should" be... When it comes to the reasons some people choose the theremins they do, I am completely at a loss! ;-) ... It seems to be related to mysticism or faith or something like that far more than playability or sound quality at times! ;-)
Fred