Would you trust a local dealer to help you put

Again, I worked there, and that was exactly the issue that pissed me off, if Andy was indeed the most knowledgable guy in audio then why is he all of a sudden now carrying a new line of gear and promoting that brand over some other brand of gear that he used to promote some short time ago which he extolled at the time, to be the best thing he has ever heard?

I wouldn't mind if the new line was some revolutionary new game changing equipment that just entered the market but when his " new " line has been on the market for years then there is no integrity in that.

If you are really interested in pursuing the best gear then you do a shoot out between what you currently sell or are interested in selling and if this new line is indeed better you sell that new line, you do this when you are putting together your lines, you do this every 5 to 10 years, unless again some revolutionary thing comes out which changes the landscape.

That SBS scenario was apparent to me as a result of just a single conversation with Andy there. I guess that's part of the reason SBS is no longer there physically at least.

Sure, not all dealers are created equal and we shouldn't generalize. But I'd like to believe that most people, dealers included, are inherently good. We all just want to put in our time, earn a fair wage, and spend our time outside of work doing things we love with the people we love.

With that said, dealers are often unfairly held responsible for poor results because many customers take a component approach rather than a systems approach. By systems approach I mean every single part of the system - as it all matters and effects the end result - including the room, power, cabling, etc.

This is really what I feel, as a dealer, is the crux of the problem. You are not likely, on your own, as a consumer, to piece together a reference class "best of show" system. Can it be done? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not.

And then there's the Internet. Most customers believe that if they read it on the Internet then it must be true which we, as dealers, know is certainly not the case. Some of the most favorably reviewed equipment on the net I would not even GIVE to my friends or family members. Do I offer or recommend those products? Absolutely not.

10 years ago people sought advice and trusted their own ears but now consumers are buying hifi as they purchase artwork. Checking to make sure that their own feelings are validated by some online authority (a blogger who more often than not is a hobbiest that can string together a few coherent sentences).

Moreover, I take issue with individual component reviews vs. system reviews. Brand X preamp may we highly touted and reference caliber but only when placed within certain systems.

Anyway, I strive to help every one of our customers reach their goals, regardless of how much they spend or how much time they require. I don't succeed if my customers don't succeed and there is no business without our customers.

I'm in the business (and have been for 23 years) because I am passionate about high fidelity and I believe that higher fidelity adds to the human experience and to one's quality of life.

Burt, Proprietor
Seattle Hi-Fi

Burt, prop. said:
"Moreover, I take issue with individual component reviews vs. system reviews. Brand X preamp may we highly touted and reference caliber but only when placed within certain systems. "

I couldn't agree more. Assembling a 'system' on the basis of 'best' of category is not a system.
As to Internet bloggers, just like professional reviewers, you need context- you need to know what their systems consist of (see your point above), what their obvious (and not so obvious) biases are (something that can be discerned if you read, at least in the case of professionals, their reviews over a period of time) and what they consider to be references.
The value of this site, and others, like audio chat groups, may not be so much the 'rave' user review or the occasional trend (everybody is using X) but broader ranging 'compatability' or 'synergy' issues, like your point above re system matching, as well as best practices for set-up, tweaking and the like across a variety of systems and user experiences.
Glad you are still passionate about hi-fi. It's not easy when it is your business and you have to deal with the constant demands made by customers, manufacturers, employees and the marketplace. As a hobbyist, it's comparatively easy.

"Moreover, I take issue with individual component reviews vs. system reviews. Brand X preamp may we highly touted and reference caliber but only when placed within certain systems. "

Yes, me too when the review does not address how the component under review performed as a result of being in that particular test system. Then people wrongly might expect similar results by buying that piece alone and will often end up disappointed. Reviewers that go on and on about the piece in question and ignore everything else that is part of their test scenarios loose credibility with me immediately.

What I want to know often is how test system A with test component A compares to reference system B. If it can compare then that at least tells you that test component A may not be a bottleneck if used properly.