I'm new posting here but have followed this a while since there's been a lot of talk about the speakers.
> When he bought his Dartzeel amp he was told he could
> audition a pair. A year later he was told he can't.
You're kidding. Either production is really screwed up or your friend was conned, or both. Either way it doesn't look good and you don't know what to believe. It's time to move on.
I've always bought speakers first, then an amp that works well with them and with others, in case I get tired of them, which sometimes happens.