Convincing your local dealer to let you try speakers at home

Many audio stores allow in home auditions of their demo gear, both used and new. While it may be only extended to existing customers with an established relationship, some allow it for any serious buyer with a credit card used for security. Many such stores are closed on Sun & Mon so they prefer to do loans on Sat and have you return or purchase on Tue giving you a couple of days for evaluation. That way they're not without their demo gear for too long in case you don't purchase it. The only way to know if they have such a program is to ask them, or ask some of their regular customers since they would know. The stores will either allow it or not as a policy, it's not something that you'll have to convince them to do.

I never had that problem. Pick them up when the dealer is closing and return them when the dealer opens up for business the next day . If the dealer is closed on Sunday it is even better!

Same here, never had any problems with dealers to audition gear at my home. As a courtesy, I let them know upfront that I don’t buy anything unless I’ve had the opportunity to audition the gear in my system. This way you are not wasting each other’s time and resources. Most dealers would come to your house and properly setup the speakers. As long as you both have an understanding on the terms of the audition, you’re good to go.

Unless your own place resembles an open warehouse, that place doesn't look like an ideal place to hear speakers.

Simply ask them and if they refuse, find a dealer who will. Your willingness to spend that amount of money qualifies you.

Seems that no one has been refused before. I've had at least two dealers in town say "We don't do that." 

It's easy to ask and I'm not shy. Maybe this was a silly thread since the answer is so obvious.

You will have better luck if you are a regular, and reliable customer (one that does not abuse privileges).  The problem with in-home demonstrations of speakers is that it is so easy to damage the finish of speakers in transit and it setting up at home.  The dealer can easily get into a conflict over whether some scratch or chip was was done by the customer or already in the dealer's model.  

May also have to do with size (yes size matters) of speakers. Are they bookshelf or large heavy speakers like the larger Wilson's or even things like the Acora speakers that weigh close to 300 pounds! Is the dealer supposed to deliver and setup?

Twenty odd years back the good Colorado Springs and Denver audio retailers would let you do weekend demos, if you were known and or used CC as security. I listened to a lot of preamps and power amps over the years.

I never did ask to take home speakers. Floorstanders would be a chore but I'd have done it. Fortunately the ones I chose did work fine in my home (and lasted 16 years...).

I would think in the changing times that borrowing equipment is more rare now than before, but the best high end dealers probably should get it.  I'm curious to hear the recent experiences of others.  thx.

Think you know what you need to do. Before asking, might be worth buying something from the dealer that you were going to buy anyway, to establish the relationship (not necessarily a big ticket item). Dealers I've previously bought from are happy to let me borrow gear, no deposit needed, because they trust me and know I'm serious. That said, speakers, especially in-demand Devore speakers, are a big ask (especially with that delicate finish).

Audio Advice and Crutchfield have great return policies if you're looking to try out what brands they rep. and return in the window of their respective return policies. A local shop may have extra demo models to loan but you'll be limited to what they have and not necessarily what you want to borrow.  Never hurts to ask. 

I have mixed feelings, since I can only afford to buy smaller things from the local hifi dealer. Why would I take home speakers if I know I wouldn't buy it from him? It feels dishonest. If you do want to buy it, it's in his best interest to let you try it. All I would say is "I'd love if it worked with my system, in my room, but there is no way to tell without trying" 

If you've never bought from a local audio-stereo dealer before, and they are just getting to know you, developing a trust relationship can take time, maybe years.  

"Try" is the word they'll run from on brand new higher $ furniture grade speakers.  

"Buy" with a discussion around Return Policy may be a more acceptable approach.

And, if you do return them, be prepared to buy something else if you plan to come back to the store again. As a dealer I'd have some reservation letting people try stuff. Not until they become proven customers who buy from the store over time.    At least a discussion around the dealer coming over and setting them up for/with you may open the door in a more mindful way.  

I think one of the most advantageous resources you can have as one pursues high end audio is a close relationship with a dealer or two.

You find them by visiting them and talking with the owner (usually, not the young kid he hired to deal with newbies). Personally, I am really honest and say the stage I am in and that I am interested in finding a dealer or two to get to know. In your case just explain what you heard. Let them take it from there. If he goes for the sale then leave… if he wants to talk and really help you… you found your guy. You guys will click or not.

Many high end shops were started by audiophiles that couldn’t stop. The are vastly knowledgable and can teach you. They should be happy to spend time with you. There are many ways to achieve similar sound… so often it is better to have your pieces well chosen and synergistic than to save 15% on line. If your just starting out the choice might be one dealer has NAD and one has Rotel… you could easily end up very happy with either. If your further down the road Rowland, or Mark Levenson, or Boulder could bring you to nirvana, etc.

Anyway, I have had relationships with three or four different dealers for over 20 years each. These relationships have been extremely rewarding and beneficial to both of us. A dealer can trade in equipment and give you an excessive trade in value, notify you when he has a demo for sale that you really wanted but couldn’t afford.

Now that I have long lasting relationships my dealer, he comes to visit me. He’ll bring a piece by he thinks I should listen to. He will leave stuff for months if I am enjoying it.  He respects my opinion as well. Ok, I would not expect this… but over time you just don’t know where it can go.

If you run into problems asking, call DeVore and ask if any of their dealers in your area allow in home auditions. 

Trying to make a decision about purchasing a component by listening to it in a dealers showroom is challenging to say the least. In home auditions where equipment can be mated to your partnering gear and listening environment are an essential part of making good decisions. This is fairly easy with most electronics and dealers are often more flexible with short-term loans for these as opposed to speakers (unless they are small bookshelf models). The best dealers working with an established client will take the time and effort to bring speakers to your home, set them up for audition, and leave them with you for an agreed period of time. However IME this is understandably rare. For these reasons the approach that many take is to buy used. Here you can try components out at your leisure and resell what doesn't work out--usually without much of a loss. This was my approach for the first 20 years in the hobby and until I really figured out what I liked sonically and had strong relationships with manufacturers whose products fit my needs and who helped me to upgrade as they made improvements along the way. 

Most dealers will offer a discount on new equipment. Not all but most. I would work out the final sales cost beforehand. 

I may be wrong but I never heard of anyone not paying retail for a new, unboxed pair of current DeVore  speakers.  There aren’t that many dealers and they watch out for one another.  

+1 @bill_k and that’s what I did. The dealer lent me speakers on Saturday evening and I dutifully brought them back Monday and actually ended up buying the next model up. To me, a brick n mortar dealer’s core strength is giving the ability for listening auditions both in store and at home unless we’re talking about bohemeth speakers where it just might not be logistically feasible, but the 0/96 is definitely not that. If you’ve got two dealers and one has a very subpar listening room I agree with @stereo5 and get on the phone with DeVore and he might have something to say to these dealers. I certainly would if I was him. BTW, if you have a Joseph Audio dealer within driving distance I’d highly suggest giving their Perspective 2 a listen as they’re in the same price range. And if you end up buying them go back to both DeVore dealers and let them (and DeVore) know they lost a potential sale because they’re not customer centric and/or weren’t willing to make the effort.  I’d think losing a $13k sale would get their attention because they don’t seem to value the customer and maybe they’ll rethink the next time a guy like you comes through the door.  Best of luck.

I've had mixed results, mostly positive, but it's been 20 years since I did a home audition.

I had a local dealer that I had done business with for a long time, that would let me take home any speakers he had for an extended period, e.g. 1-2 weeks.

There was another local dealer from whom I bought my most recent pair of speakers, who would let me home demo only if I paid a fee.  Part of the fee was refundable if I bought the speakers, and part was not.  The dealer was not gonna deliver nor set up.  It was the non-refundable part that made me balk.  This was after auditioning several pairs of speakers in the shop, and deciding which speaker brand I wanted.  I wanted to home demo the floor standing model first, and if that didn't work, the bookshelf model.  The odd that neither would work seemed unlikely given the size of my room.

I ended up buying from a distributor I had dealt with in the past.  He shipped the fairly large speakers from St. Louis, and a dealer from Austin who happened to be vacationing in SF (I was in Marin) came over and set them up.  If I didn't like the speakers, I just had to pay for return shipping.

Well, let’s face it: convincing a dealer to let you audition speakers (Full size not half speakers aka “bookshelves”) at home is very difficult. Unless the dealer is a friend, not just any dealer. Much easier with cables, components, etc.

@hilde45 the place your refering to is mostly used gear. I wouldn't think there would be a problem.  Even the music room will give you 14 days. Sure you need to plunk down the money first but they don't get upset when you  return something.  I live right down the road from them and pu and return so there is never any shipping charges.  

I've has two experiences - one bad and one good.  When I purchased my Focal Electra 1027  speakers in 2007, the dealer where I auditioned them was a jerk. He wasn't ready when I drove 60 miles for our appointment. He ended the session after 45 minutes and wouldn't  let me take them home on approval. So instead of paying him $8,000 for them which I was willing to do for his time and trouble (which was very little), I bought them new online for $5,000 from Canada.

Recently I purchased some smaller bookshelf speakers from Upscale Audio. They have a 60 day return policy, no questions asked. I did return the speakers and got my refund (but had to pay to ship them back).  I don't know whether that applies to big ticket items but I was pleased with how I was treated.

@styleman UpscaleAudio is one of the best companies I ever dealt with. Super nice, knowledgeable, easy going.

There isn’t a company in my area that will lend speakers. 

(1) I don’t know squat about DEVORE speakers or their dealers, Comments below reflect my general overall experiences

(1) MY EXPERIENCES PRE-COVID

maybe /…. ( but it’s very dealer specific ) AND very dependent on:

(I) speaker size weight & price strata … , and only on demo or pre-owned units (nada chance on the $$$$ models boxed up, and NFC on honkin’ big size units that cannot be boxed up and fit into a trunk of an SUV)

AND

(2) Only if the dealer has a well-established prior relationship with you and supported by a prior purchases history out there …. Not necessarily independent of $$$ …. ( Dealer rationale: too many time wasting tire kickers out there ,,,)

(2) COVID + POST COVID:

..,FFC ….Supply issues restricting available inventory, buyer sentiment on actually closing the deal sucks , COVID isolation threats , etc.….+ all of the other pre-COVID challenges above,

RE: Ka-Ching $$$$ models : = never … they hook them up in-store to the very best electronics and tweaks that they have available. An audition in store will provide a very decent snapshot of whether they will perform admirably at home. Otherwise sayonara (politely, of course) and I cannot blame them. It’s a tuff business to sell $$$$ inventory with a discretionary complimentary audition assistance privilege provided.
(you can test drive a car at a dealership but not take it home syndrome …)

I would suggest an audition fee if you don’t purchase, to cover their costs and time. 
 

I auditioned speakers at home from 4 different dealers.  One brought Magico and Wilson speakers around on separate occasions neither of which I bought.  I offered an audition fee if I did not buy which he appreciated, but in the end  I did buy a few thousand $ of cables from him.

Another loaned me two sets of Avalon that I did not buy, but I’d already bought an expensive amp and cdp from him so I was a good customer. 

Another loaned me some large Proac K series floorstanders and some Sonas Faber neither of which I bought. From him I bought two dac/streamers  I needed for a second system, giving him the business as a ‘thank you’. 

Another shipped three sets of speakers to me for home demo.  There was no cost to me, which is incredible as their shipping costs were large.  I would happily have offered to pay the shipping costs too. Anyway, I bought my final speakers from them in the end so he was happy. 

You might as well have listened on your back patio as that

room has few side wall or ceiling reflections. I would expect

it will sound worse in any room.

They idea of a Take Home Fee makes sense. If you buy it applies to

the purchase.

The dealer has to size you up as a potential risk. Unless I was 95% sure

I wanted a speaker I would not ask. 

Does the dealer have a normal sized room to listen in???

At this point you can't be 50% sure of anything. Based on the photo.

Good luck, I hope they let you do a home audition. I’ve had O96’s since early 2020. With a low power SET AMP and a Backert Rhumba in a fairly large and not yet treated but good sounding room they are mind blowing. Worth every penny.

With demo speakers it makes sense to allow you to take 'em home...a place in NH does that if you put a card on them to insure you don't run off. I'll never buy speakers again without a serious audition as I've had to return a pair of ZUs, sell a pair of Sonists and a pair of Heresy IVs...you think I'd learn.

If the dealer was able to get them to sound even mildly mediocre in that setting, they should be absolutely out of this world in your room.

I have long-standing relationships with two local dealers.  I can audition any speaker and any piece of gear at home. If the speakers are too large to fit in my car, the dealers will deliver them to me and set them up.

I, of course, would have auditioned the speakers at the dealer's store first prior to imposing on them.

Bottom line - it's about having a good working relationship with your dealer.

Good comments. I like these dealers a lot, so this is really not about them. We have not even discussed this topic. I think they're fantastic guys and so this post is really about the general practices around borrowing speakers.

It says something about the industry and margins involved that this is so difficult. I mean, people take $60k cars for test drives all the time, buy enormous televisions and return them, etc. etc. FFS, you give them your credit card, they take a few pictures, you establish an understanding about damage, etc. and off you go. 

The notion that you can get speakers shipped to you via Upscale or TMR or Music Direct or Audio Advice and return them means that the dealer who is completely unwilling to allow try-to-buy is still on a different path. I'm not saying that doesn't have it's own logic to it -- after all, if you're selling an in-demand product, then you don't need to please the guy who needs to try. For *that* sale. But as many here have said, there's more at stake when there is a potential to build a relationship. One pair of speakers leads to another, leads to preamps and cables and more. 

@decooney  "Buy" with a discussion around Return Policy may be a more acceptable approach.
That's a good thing to keep in mind. Thanks.

@knighttodd 
I've bought and returned to TMR before. That's a good way to go if the other routes don't pan out.

@bipod72 
I've done the Crutchfield thing. I tried Martin Logan's for a month (they allowed up to 2 months) and when I shipped them back the shipping charge was $10 per speaker. Yes, you read that right. Pretty amazing. But they're not carrying what I'm interested in, now.

@duckworp 
An audition fee is an interesting idea. You have had great luck with your dealers -- the brands you have auditioned at home are among those which other posters here have ruled out as possible. You're bending the curve, buddy!

@wolf_garcia  

I'll never buy speakers again without a serious audition as I've had to return a pair of ZUs, sell a pair of Sonists and a pair of Heresy IVs...you think I'd learn.

Haha! I hear you! Exactly where I'm at.

    
@ozzy62 

If the dealer was able to get them to sound even mildly mediocre in that setting, they should be absolutely out of this world in your room.

I'm not as comfortable as you are extrapolating regarding how things will sound with my gear in my room. Especially for $13k speakers.   

First, we ALWAYS brought the item to the customer's home and set it up for him/her.  We MADE SURE it was working properly when we left, and yes, of course we took a check or credit card (things were slightly different in the "old days" of the 1970's-80's)

Naturally, we both examined the item(s) and agreed on their condition and we had  form that they signed agreeing.  This was before smartphones, so pictures, other than poor-resolution Polaroids were difficult.

In all my years of business with the highest-end gear, I NEVER had a problem with this policy.  If I did not know the customer, by delivering the gear to their home, I got a good idea of what was going on.  The credit card was insurance, so I never worried.  I would say about 3/4 of the time they kept the hardware and close to 1/2 the time they kept the speakers.

Going out and setting up whatever it was helped me make the sale.  If your dealer does not do this, I would find another dealer if you can.

Cheers!

Folks are hostile to MQA because there is no trust where funny business that is not explained is going on. I was appalled at Absolute Sounds promotion of it. It sounds like an attempt to reproduce the flaws of vinyl- overly smooth, rolled-off highs. If one knows the sound profile of Meridien speakers and electronics, it’s that.

 I far prefer high-res Quboz, much more realistic to my ears.

I can borrow anything because of long-standing relationships.  But, if I were a dealer I would not let anyone borrow gear for an audition.  These days, people audition stuff with no intention of buying--they try dealer gear and then go looking for better deals on the internet (used, grey market, whatever).  I know a dealer who lent two amps to a person and later found out that two other several other dealers did the same; the "customer" held an audio shootout with his friends just for fun and then returned the gear.  

Dealers basically lend their floor models out, which means they are out of a demonstration piece until it is returned.  They cannot lend out something "new" out of the box because it is then no longer "new."  One has to wonder about those on-line dealers that offer a limited trial period; do they sell a returned piece as new?  Would you like to buy a new speaker that may have been shipped around to various other people and having undergone such additional handling, potential abuse from someone cranking the volume way up, etc.?

If you are a customer that is fair to the dealer, dealers will do quite a bit to accommodate your plans.  I once asked a local dealer about the high end linestage models of two brands he carried.  He had neither models in his shop.  But, he was willing to buy both models as demonstration models (the lowest price from a distributor) if I promised to buy one of them (handshake deal).  He got in the Levinson No. 32 linestage first, I tried it at home, liked it, and bought it without requiring him to bring in the VTL model I was also interested in.  Another local dealer built a pair of customer speakers, each is more than 4.5 feet wide, almost 9 feet tall and about 4 feet deep.  It took a rental of a mini tractor to make the deliver/install at the customer's house.  The customer's wife hated it and the dealer took the speakers back.  I don't know what the financial arrangement was for the return, but, can you imagine how hard it is to find a space for two such giant speakers and how hard it must be to find a new buyer? Such service still exists, but it only exists if there are both good dealers and customers and not where both parties are trying to get the drop on the other.

Another thing, about the speakers themselves. A giant room like that without sidewall reflections may actually be the best room for the Devore O/96s -- of course it's a type of room that few have. The reviewer Mike Lavorgna uses O/96s in his giant barn, which measures great, in part because it's a big room. Big room, little problems...you're hearing more of the speakers, less of the room.

The other thing to keep in mind is, it's fairly easy to sell Devores. I know of no other speaker that keeps such a high resale value. So you can do as I did...buy it, try it for 4-5 months, and if it doesn't work out in your room -- sell it. 

+1 laryi

If it’s getting up there in price, I would think there would need to be an understanding that you would be purchasing something from the brick and mortar at the end of your trial. I mean, a pair of used bookshelf speakers? No problem. I’ve had a decent pair from our local place (really nice guy with a full retail and repair shop etc.) to try out, liked them and bought them. Then he let me try a used subwoofer for several weeks, but instead I wanted something different - he helped find me a nice used Rel even when I was willing to pay new). Saved me SO much money and I love this sub). But this is a major investment. Both sides of this transaction is kinda crucial.

If you’ve built a relationship, shouldn’t be an issue. But if you’ve never purchased from them - and/or a MAJOR purchase - there’s a bit of honor and due diligence to consider. I bet if you have a good in person sit down talk (rare these days) he’d be willing to set something up for you. But maybe go in expecting a down payment or good faith deposit toward something that will work for your space. Chances are, he’d let you try more than the DeVore’s? Although, you’ll probably love them from what I’ve heard about them.

Also, bring some pics of your room/listening area/equipment/setup. Maybe they’ll have some great suggestions on pairing if you’re open to options.

Best wishes, hope you end up with some holiday time DeVores!

@hilde45 as a midway option to explore before taking next steps, would the dealer permit you to listen to their O/96 speakers at their location with your source, your preamp, your cables? 

I personally wouldn't want to feel obligated to purchase speakers if I brought them home to try.  I also would want to risk damaging while in transit and then having to purchase them.

Try this for grins. Go to Devore Fidelity’s website and scroll through each authorized dealer, hitting the hyperlink to view each dealer’s site and lines. With some exceptions you will see that the vast majority carry what I call the small niche brands such as Well Tempered, Shindo, Leben, Sugden, et al. If audio dealers were movie theaters, they would be the small art houses rather than AMC Loews. These dealers are doing what they do for the love of the pursuit or they would not be selling such niche brands. By and large the owners of these shops will do whatever they can to please the customer but just don’t have the resources to cover the potential loss of income if a product is not available for audition because is out on loan and the inevitable wear and tear to the exterior finish of a delicate loudspeaker from being carted in and out of the store. I am not in the industry but having visited my Devore dealer selling out of his home as a pursuit of love supplementing his day job, this is my impression.

If you go to the dealer looking very serious in buying, And give your credit card info as deposit just in case something happen with the speakers. And sign a terms and condition papers? I don’t see any reason why the dealer will not loan you the speakers?Dealers can easily figure out if you are not seriously buying? Trust me they do.

I appreciate all the advice. I'm pretty clear about what I personally could do.

That said, keep YOUR stories about your experiences coming. Because there may be solutions out there or stories out there that might be useful to me or someone else.

I can repeat what was said before:  I told the dealer I would buy a pair I really wanted  but just in case what's the return policy. He said: don't bother, take it home and see you Monday morning. He was really friendly and low-key. Then, the other dealer in town is so "high-end", he wants to see your DNA analysis and medical records before he'd let you in the door

Hi there hilde: ) - I found my best way forward was putting myself in the shoes of any dealer I met. And I realised how terribly inconvenienced I would be, and what a time consuming affair it would be to bring even a DAC over for a customer to audition, especially if it was across town. And I felt that the only thing that would make up for it all would be the passion of a customer, so exigently expressed that he or she took the first step of making a sincere offer to pay for the audition, fully refundable if purchase was made, but a one-off fee otherwise. So that’s how Ive always done it. The thought of ‘spending’ such money unnecessarily has never occurred to me, since the knowledge and learning I would be receiving from the audition would be so well worth the cost, if I didn’t proceed with the purchase. The vital side benefit of this way of being, is that I would obviously be pressed to think very thoroughly through all my reasons for wanting the audition, and thus only proceed with it with an earnestness worth the effort, and not waste anyone’s time or effort over passing thoughts. Learning costs money, and I would argue that the education of audiophile listening is one of the most profound, with the plethora and uncountable products out there to choose from. It is unfortunate that there are more than just a few of us in our amazing hobby indulge ourselves with privilege and entitlement without a care for those who serve us, as the one with the money is king. I try to play an even field, and talk with dealers in a way that helps them understand I owe my education to them, and not as though they owe their livelihoods to me. I have offered to pay usd600 for auditions of every DAC a dealer had at a time when I felt very seriously about the educational possibilities of front end equipment in order to make an informed decision about a particular purchase. In this way, I have earned a modicum of regard from many dealers, most of whom stopped accepting my offers for audition compensation after the first time. Most did not even accept the fee the first time, after agreeing and arriving for set-up, as they had a decent gauge of my sincerity by then. My audio journey of learning has leapfrogged in powerful ways this way - the six hundred I’d offered earned me the opportunity to listen to the mola mola tambaqui; aqua formula xhd and xhd v2; a Aries cerat Helena; and a wadax atlantis DAC. With these dacs, in rotation, I was able to persuade another dealer in like manner, and got to hear the dCs Vivaldi stack, MSB discrete, reference, and select 2 dacs. The learning of what different dacs do at different price points, and what different typologies of dacs sound like, made the fee offered seem as a drop in the ocean : )

In friendship - kevin

@kevn Thank you for taking the time to write out your approach. In your paragraph, about paying to audition equipment, you write,

The thought of ‘spending’ such money unnecessarily has never occurred to me, since the knowledge and learning I would be receiving from the audition would be so well worth the cost, if I didn’t proceed with the purchase.

May I ask, in earnest, if you take this approach when trying out cars you might purchase? If not, what's the difference between test drives and auditions? Do you offer to pay for other product testing? Golf clubs, bicycles, etc.? I'm curious what might make the difference for you between an audio dealer an audio dealer and others selling goods which might cost a lot but really require a "fit" between purchaser and item to purchase.

Off subject, but a bigger problem is auditioning cartridges at home.  I know of no dealer who allows this, even ones well known to me for many years.

The refusal is understandable, carts are extremely delicate, easily wiped out, damaged, or just put out of adjustment.  Further, once out of the box, their value falls to no more than half retail, so there is a big problem for the dealer if you audition at home and then choose not to buy.

Recent case in point.  I bought an Ortofon Anna but found I had not factored in its high mass in my lightweight arm.  It simply did not gel and I could hear this immediately.  So, with an hour or two and a day on it, I wanted to resell it.  I found no dealer interested, even at half price.  There is little market for used carts.  This is a costly cart, so I put it in my second system with heavier old 1980s Zeta arm.  It sounds good there.

Perhaps a dealer wishing to take a large share of the high-end cart market could dedicate one piece each of a few models to demo, taking a damage deposit of 50% retail?

As a former dealer I regret ever letting an individual take speakers home. They just bring the back to the store and say they didn't sound very good at home. 

They probably put them flat against a wall, or something equally as bad. 

As a former dealer I regret ever letting an individual take speakers home. They just bring the back to the store and say they didn’t sound very good at home.

They probably put them flat against a wall, or something equally as bad.

Did they ignore your instructions about set up? How frustrating if that’s what happened! Other people here have testified again and again as to how they (as customers) bought gear they took home. Wonder why that never happened for you.

If your experience was rule rather than exception, I'd expect that not only smaller dealers but outfits like TMR, Crutchfield, Music Direct, Upscale, and Audio Advisor would not let people try out speakers.

Hilde, I haven’t fully thought through every instance of product purchases, but I have a very strong feeling audio demos are far more difficult to undertake than any other sort of thing. The reason being that at the level most of us are in, rarely is it the case that an entire system, from source right through amplification and final delivery, are designed, synced and pieced together by a single hand or brand. For the non-professional, performance cars, golf clubs, bicycles, jetskis and the like almost always come in fully developed form - think of how crazy it would be to have an amateur put together an entire car by themselves…the results will inevitably fall way short of the kind of completeness that the complexity of automobile manufacture demands. Even matching specific golf club heads to the particular sort of shaft that works best for a golfer takes deep experience, when engaged at a high level.
 

The problem we face as audiophiles is that what we do is little more than a hobby…. there is little of professional outcome about it, unless one reviews equipment for other hobbyists. And yet, our little hobby involves the highly complex act of piecing together various components, cabling, isolation and electromagnetic accessories to arrive at a ‘product’ we call our ‘system’ - it is analogous to one who loves weekend driving as a hobby, tasked with developing and building a performance car for one’s own driving abilities, for a particular period in time. Given the level and quality most of us aspire for and strive to achieve, we are, effectively, amateurs engaged in the complex production of a professional experience.

It is nothing short of incredulous, in fact.

As such, I truly see no parallels between auditioning components for a hifi system, compared with test driving fully developed cars, tennis rackets, snowboards, or motorcycles. At best, one or two elements may yield marginally felt advantageous  for the amateur, for which recommendations from the related manufacturer would probably be already in place. The test drive of a car, as example, involves merely getting into the drivers seat and taking off - one is engaged with the intimate equivalent of the listening experience from the get-go. That of a component of a sound system involves a rather more inconvenient series of related acts, in the contextual equivalent of affixing wheels and choosing tyres, adjusting suspension, damping and brakes for the specific kinds of roads and tracks one will be driving on, before the actual test driving even begins. It takes far more effort on the part of both dealer and client to facilitate.

So, no, I don’t feel it necessary to offer a fee, let alone have one expected of me, in relation to testing cars or other kinds of sport equipment. With all of that, I test for best fit with my needs or specific wants, period. With hifi, I’m am not merely looking for best fit between me and another fully developed product, but educating myself on the far more complex equivalent of various components and products that may or not contribute to a more immersive driving experience, with possibility of a component becoming a part of my existing ‘car’. The audition becomes far more profound, complicated, and necessary of compensation for a dealers time and effort.

I hope this makes sense to you!

In friendship - kevin