Need Advice on Amp Audition at a Dealers

A home audition is best.  Ask the dealer to send out one of his techs to set it up for you.  If you need it for a few days, you'll have to pay for the tech to come back, but the cost won't be that bad.

The advantage of letting someone else set it up is that you can concentrate on the performance, letting the other guy handle the technical details.  We are all capable of doing it ourselves, but in this type of situation allow yourself the luxury of being able to focus on the sound quality and system synergy.  It will be fun and rewarding.  If you end up buying the amp, you'll probably be able to work out a deal.  But the service will be worth every penny!

Oops... just read your message and realized the dealer is hours away.  Might not be practical, you might have to do it yourself if the dealer is cool with that (they usually are once you throw down your plastic).

I’ve done this a few times and to be honest the results are mixed at best. Different speakers, room, cables, partnering electronics, etc., completely mask the differences in the amps. Unless you’re comparing very different types of amps, e.g, low power tube to mid-hi power SS, etc., then the experiment is worth the effort. My experience, YMMV.

@tuberist - the advice offered above covers most of the related concerns with taking your amp with you, but I do believe it is worthwhile.

What you didn’t provide are any details as to your current amp and the amps you are thinking of auditioning.

The other thing I would suggest you take along are your speaker cables. These can change the sound of the amp you are listening to and sometimes in a bad way.

I would also recommend you have them connect the amp to the most expensive speakers/system in the place - then you will be able to hear the slightest differences between the two amps.

When I auditioned my Node 2 Streamer I had the dealer install it in a system that had Avantguard horn speakers (@ $30,000) just so I could hear it at it’s very best.

Good luck with the shopping - Steve

thanks again for all the recommendations. Since I can't do a home audition without buying I threw out this post knowing some of you kind souls would help me out. I've just started back again at Audiogon after a long absence. the site now is very different. the "portholes" are pretty weird. Anyway, I owned push pull and set tube amps for 20+ years and decided to try a PS Audio Stellar 300...a class D with about 140 watts a side; this is a seriously good amp. However,  I'm thinking I miss the "fun" of the tube amps (tube rolling etc)  and am interested in auditioning a Rogue Stereo 100 tube amp. My speakers aren't made anymore. I've owned them since 2005 and am still satisfied. The speakers are Von Schweikert db99's and they have internally powered woofers. Best holidays to all of you!