" Does higher MSRP means better performance? "
Higher price does not necessarily mean better performance.
Higher price can some times mean better quality parts, but that's not even a given.
Good parts, with an excellent design and excellent implementation, will often sound much better than high-priced, so-called fancy-smancy boutique parts and gear.
That's the so-called fancy-smancy boutique parts and gear, which is often described as "transparent, highly-revealing and highly-resolving".
"Transparent, highly-revealing and highly-resolving" means only one thing. 98% of the recordings on any format available, will sound horrible and one won't enjoy a minute's worth of the music one truely loves.
So unless your one of those "Audiophiles" who wants to limit yourself to a handful of select, isolated recordings which were recorded, mixed and mastered perfectly; you are better off finding gear which is more forgiving and less "transparent, highly-revealing and highly-resolving".
"Transparent, highly-revealing and highly-resolving" is a "we live in a perfect world" concept. Not just in terms of the gear, but also the music/recordings we love listenign to.
Last time I checked, none of us live in that perfect world and those handful of select, isolated "Audiophile Approved" recordings are largely stale, emotionless, bland recordings which no one with an active social life, full of rich memories and experiences will ever want to listen to.
Look for gear that suits your music and sound tastes/preferences, gear that suits what your using it for (music? HT? Both? ); as well as the dimensions and acoustics of your listening environment and your ouwn budget.