Would a $30 harp sound better than an $8 one?

aside from like a tremolo harp or one with a bunch of pitches i'm just wondering about a standard ten hole harp..

In general, you will get a better harp for more money. I swear by Hohner Special 20's. They're around $22-25. Haven't bought a new one is a while.
Don't clean harps. Brush your teeth before you play. Anything you blow in can be sucked out, like food which can become moldy and/or can choke you.
I like plastic combs over wood. Richer sound. The Marine Bands seem to bring on cold sores. I do like Blues Harps. These are all Hohner by the way. I also like Lee Oscars. A lot of people like Huang and Suzuki. I don't. Just don't like the sound.
For a good harp, you don't have to spend more than $25. If you're new, go to Golden Corral and buy a $5 harp. You can get enough sound to decide whether you want to invest more. Long ago, I bought a Meisterklasse, also a Hohner. $65. Looked really cool. All metal and chrome lookin'. Does not sound nearly as good as a Special 20. My second choice are Pro Harps. Again, Hohner. A little more expensive but not by much. Much tighter and harder to play but have a good sound, IMO.

It's up to what YOU can do with an $8 harp. What i mean is, some musicians can create from whatever is put before them. Take me for instance - I own and play several "Mid price range" guitars, but i could probably come up with some pretty cool stuff on a $20 offbrand non-USA made guitar.

When you play any standard ten hole harp, we of course produce a Lot of saliva.If you are currently learning ,I would recommend the $8.00 harp.You will be cleaning it regularly,the$30.00 harp has more moisture control allowing a better sounding pitch.Good Luck!

the harp you refer to is called a diatonic harp,which means played within a certain key.99% of all blues are played on such in second and third position. all the blue notes can be hit by "bending the notes"which makes it blues.what's the difference between a pinto and a bmw?quality.same is true about harps.the brass reeds on the more costly harps are of better quality thus producing a pure tone.construction is tight therefof reducing air leaks,thus a fatter tone.there are many great harps in the 30 buck range.i have played for over 30 years.i perfer lee oscars,they give a powerfull tone and last a long time.if one is serious,go for the good ones,far more worth it.
ps you can clean a harp,use a water pick,and a vacuume cleaner to suck it dry,on both sides.an inside trick.you can also trick the reeds,take it apart,widen the gap between the reed plate and reed,you can blow harder,if you are by nature a power player,but it's harder to play soft.do the reverse procedure and reverse the effect.

Generally you are going to want to spend at least 18-20 USD and up on a harp. I would definately not recommend a cheap harp, even to a beginner. It is hard enough when you are starting out! It would take a very skilled person to play the junky ones well, end even then I smash the god-damn#d things. People just starting out wouldn't know it was the harps fault that it sounds like s#it. So, buy a good harp. I recommend Marine Bands, but maybe a plastic comb is better as you will salivate a lot until you learn more and that can expand a wooden comb and cut your lips. (I know by experience)
You don't want to be walking around looking like you have a cold sore. Good luck and keep playing.

go for basics, and make it work. a lot of harp players have several keys

It depends who's playing, and who's listening.
I can blow a $45 harp apart almost as easily as a $10 one,
although I have learned to go a little easier on them now.
I Play guitar and harmonica(Blues Harp) around lots of campfires, and find that a $20 harp usually is more than good enough. If you are starting out, try something in the lower price range, but not too cheap.Also, try different keys.
I hope that has been of some use to you

I've been through several $8 Hohner old standbys. They only seem to last about six months.But, maybe I'm just not taking proper care of it. I've also heard the lee oskars are alot easier to bend the notes on.