@stuartk :
No need for apologies! I'm enjoying this insight into how different audiophiles go about their shopping and selection process or processes, as the case may be. Seems like you are going about this in a very cautious, well-informed and well-reasoned fashion which, I'm confident, many other folks who have come to eschew the conventional brick & motor thing probably do, as well. As long as you are pleased with the results, that's really all that matters. More power to you all! I, as I suspect a majority of audiophiles and budding audiophiles, simply do not have the same level of confidence in my audiophile knowledge base or expertise, such as it is, to be courageous enough to forsake the more conventional brick & mortar thing. The folks who do this successfully are obviously much more knowledgeable and adept than I am and, again, I believe most audiophiles fall into this category.
It's unfortunate that some folks who might prefer or really benefit from brick & mortar shopping are precluded from doing so because there are simply no or not enough reputable or good quality audio shops within reasonable proximity to them. Shows or audio expositions would certainly be helpful, as an alternative. I suppose developing good relationships with reputable on-line sellers would be helpful, as well. However, for music lovers struggling with this lack of relatively readily accessible variety of audio shops, music lovers who possibly are not fortunate enough to have quality multi-thousand dollar relatively high-end systems, who maybe have never even heard systems like that before, I think it would be wonderful if there were more venues available to them to explore this and on-going upgrade possibilities. Maybe a bunch of travelling mini audio expositions in the more rural areas of the country would be helpful? I think anything that can be done to support and help this hobby and passion thrive would be a good thing.
No need for apologies! I'm enjoying this insight into how different audiophiles go about their shopping and selection process or processes, as the case may be. Seems like you are going about this in a very cautious, well-informed and well-reasoned fashion which, I'm confident, many other folks who have come to eschew the conventional brick & motor thing probably do, as well. As long as you are pleased with the results, that's really all that matters. More power to you all! I, as I suspect a majority of audiophiles and budding audiophiles, simply do not have the same level of confidence in my audiophile knowledge base or expertise, such as it is, to be courageous enough to forsake the more conventional brick & mortar thing. The folks who do this successfully are obviously much more knowledgeable and adept than I am and, again, I believe most audiophiles fall into this category.
It's unfortunate that some folks who might prefer or really benefit from brick & mortar shopping are precluded from doing so because there are simply no or not enough reputable or good quality audio shops within reasonable proximity to them. Shows or audio expositions would certainly be helpful, as an alternative. I suppose developing good relationships with reputable on-line sellers would be helpful, as well. However, for music lovers struggling with this lack of relatively readily accessible variety of audio shops, music lovers who possibly are not fortunate enough to have quality multi-thousand dollar relatively high-end systems, who maybe have never even heard systems like that before, I think it would be wonderful if there were more venues available to them to explore this and on-going upgrade possibilities. Maybe a bunch of travelling mini audio expositions in the more rural areas of the country would be helpful? I think anything that can be done to support and help this hobby and passion thrive would be a good thing.