I've been eyeballing the combo, and it makes me wonder, what kind of hardware and benefits of these parts would justify the high prices? 

I am just genuinely curious. Take the Livre handle for example, sure titanium knobs are good, but $100+ seems a bit much for a marginal increase in performance.

 

  

It's just bling.

Most reels fish perfectly from the factory.

The fancy aftermarket parts are mainly for show.

I like bigger handles and large grippy knobs for moving baits but those titanium handles have no grip with wet and sweaty fingers. Ended up putting heat shrink on mine.

The biggest benefit youre going to see is weight reduction ... in your wallet

3 hours ago, garroyo130 said:

The biggest benefit youre going to see is weight reduction ... in your wallet

 

For $183 to-my-door, I decided to give it a go, see what the fuss is about. The owner said he spent over $200 for these parts alone. The worst-case scenario is me selling them parts in the flea market section in a couple of weeks.