ascend sierra tower with raal or Focal Aria 936

Well if you want to marry a pair of speakers, I guess.   The internet sales model is far different than the retail method, and is indeed based on what they cost to build.   The retail speaker brand will gin up its qualities and get print media types to "rave" about them so as to "command" a premium price.  Hey, its your money, spend as much as you want.

If you're surprised at this thread, then you must get surprised an awful lot, because EVERY audio forum is chock full of threads asking for owner's impressions of their gear. It's how people develop a short list these days as the internet has changed the game.

And of course you want to audition speakers before deciding, it doesn't matter if they cost $4000 or $40.  I'd rather audition speakers with my gear in my room over 30 days before deciding, rather than doing it in a sometimes badly set up sound room in an audio store, with a salesperson who may not know what they're talking about or who is pressuring me to buy now.  YMMV.

213runnin:  Assuming that Ascend is doing a charity by not just taking the extra money they would be giving to dealers is so short sighted.  Just because they are manufacturer direct means NOTHING.  If you were in their shoes, would you throw away profit for no reason?  If so, you’d be a terrible businessman.

@contuzzi, are you saying that Ascend's (or any manufacturer that sells directly to the consumer, in any industry) business model has no bearing on the way they price their products?  You not only said it means nothing, but you capitalized the entire word for emphasis.  Are you actually saying that their pricing is in no way whatsoever derived from the cost structure of their business model?