Thiel Owners

Jafant...

Take your time, invest your time, it's your money and they're your ears.  I've bought quite a few items from Stereo Exchange in NYC without a hitch, it being one of the VERY few stores you can still just walk right into without an appointment.  Alan C.,  and owner David are just nice peeps to do business with.  The gear I purchased, 2 pairs of Totem loudspeakers, 2 McIntosh amps etc. were all in stock.  (That's just the new stuff I bought there, I've bought used as well.)

Of course, building your reference system around Thiel commands the patience you're demonstrating.  I'd probably have bought and sold a good many things already. 

Oh yeah, just for the record, I haven't bought anything this week. 

Jafant if you’re willing to think a bit outside the box, as I see the same brands being recommended to you repeatedly how about Gryphon? There are some very knowledgeable folks out there who consider their gear amongst the very best SS amplification out there. No US distribution currently but there are some used models on Agon right now and Gryphon does provide service in the US just not sales according to their website.

re: Stereo Exchange in NYC, before the net and Audiogon, et al, my friends and I would get excited as we came towards Presidents day; as Stereo Exchange would have their annual sale, great prices on everything, but especially used gear, and they stood behind their sales. The last time I was there it seemed as though it was mostly home theatre stuff. When I inquired as to why this was, I was told without the home theatre stuff they probably couldn't exist.

Unsound...

I haven't been there in about 8 months or so, but they do indeed offer a lot of home theatre gear which, as you stated, is probably a hefty percentage of their business. Personally speaking I ain't no fan of home theatre nor surround sound. 

Last time  I was there they had a headphone "bar" upfront and some nice turntables as well. I suggested they start selling vinyl again, putting lp's in the window, etc. (I am a marketing genius, ain't I?). There's still enough 2 channel gear on display to make them worth my while. 

Audio Breakthroughs in Manhassett is also a nice place to consider. I bought my Bluesound Vault2 there. It's a tad funkier than SE but they're cool peeps as well. It's not very far from Manhattan and there's ample parking in the rear. They even list used gear here sometimes.  SE favors eBay for some reason although they used to list here as well. 

However, to trade in and buy SE has been my choice for the past few years. 

Funny:  I traded in a pair of Dynaudio Contours to help fund a pair of Totem Hawks a while back. I bought the Dynaudios from a fellow member in Manhattan a little earlier on. A day or two passed and I received an email from David explaining that his tech had gone over the speakers after hearing a knock in the cabinets - something I never noticed myself.  His tech removed around 5 plastic dinosaurs stuffed in the ports. 

Now I know why many listings here contain the "from a smoke free, child free home" disclaimer. 

At least there weren't any cigar butts...