Ricred1, I agree with your last point about leveraging off dealer expertise. However, I would caution that I have found some dealers to be somewhat limited in their ability to advise on set-up, including equipment compatibility.
Of course, I'm sure there are many dealers who really know what they're talking about. A case in point is John Rutan of Audio Connection in Verona, N.J. (I think he knows more about Vandy speakers than Richard Vandersteen . . . . just kidding Mr. V).
I'm also happy to read that Wilson is user friendly and fills in the blanks. [Still taking late model Wilson speakers off of peoples hands at no cost to them. LOL ;.')]
My point is that if a customer is planning on dropping big bucks on gear, he or she needs to be a smart consumer. And as I said above, that is not always an easy task. I think checking A'gon Forum is a good place to start, followed up by a call(s) to the factory(ies) as needed. Caveat emptor.
Btw, that's not to say I haven't made mistakes. Fortunately I have been able to recycle equipment that isn't working out with minimal net cost (of the buy/sell).
Cheers.
