Originally Posted by
WhyFi
They are getting *very* close, now. I haven't looked at the non-hydro stuff, but within the current groups, you're looking at stuff like: paint vs anodized, aluminum vs carbon levers, the ability to alter brake engagement, slightly better bearings in the RD, etc. Oh, and a couple hundred grams or so. IOW, in terms of function and performance, there's almost nothing separating them. Vanity and weightweenie-ism will keep the Ultegra and DA selling, though.
As an example, the DA9000 on my Domane was new when 105 5700 was the standard "entry" level. Like a year or two later, 5800 came out and is a carbon copy of all the architecture of DA9000, just less carbon and fancy metals so it's a little heavier. And aright around the same time, the new Dura Ace showed up. Marginal gains and all that...
That reminds me, I need to see if I can score a 5800 group for cheap now.