I don't know where the Empire is manufactured, $134 for a mass produced squonk is definitely on the upper end of the spectrum.
Chipset wise, it is not revolutionary that you can change the chipset without soldering, it has been done before in the high end industry, I vaguely remember dna 60, but it belongs to the rarity though.
Actually, most chipsets are reliable, so I don't see the fact that the chipset can be replaced quickly as a selling point.
Most chipsets that have soldering on one side of the board can basically be used as a solder-free system, but most manufacturers choose to solder to prevent voltage drop, but also to save space.