The closest equivalent Shimano big pit is the Aero Technium XT-B MGS. The catalogue RRP is £919.99, but it does also list an SSP of £764.99. It has been available for a year or two now so doesn't have the stupid new release factor to keep the selling price that bit higher than it could be. Finding them for £700 isn't too difficult and the dealers will do better for multiples, but won't necessarily advertise the fact.
The Daiwa is already available in the real world for just shy of £900. Once Christmas is out of the way, they aren't new releases, and there's enough stock in the country, the prices will drop further. I'd guess to around £50 more than the Shimanos. Then Shimano will make a new reel that just tops the new Daiwa, in some largely irrelevant way, and charge £50 more than Daiwa currently are.
In this instance, I don't believe that defending Shimano, by pointing out Daiwa's pricing, really stands up to even minor scrutiny.
