Hi-end audio is a big zero

@elangley01 

They certainly help!!  Good point ....

I gave up on B&M years ago when I realized I was just wasting both our times. I wanted at home demos of a variety of equipment, listening to just the one brand they carried on my list just didn't cut it. At this point I realized I was going to have to become a complete diy in regard to assembling systems.

I was lucky in that I was old enough that I had lived through the golden age of B&M when dealers spent lots of time with me educating and allowing home demos, I also attended many shows and spent much time researching all things audio.

From this background, I began assembling a number of systems over the years, made mistakes, discovered my preferences. Over time I was able to assemble increasingly satisfying systems to point I may have my end game system.

With today's situation I'd have hard time relying on B&M for gaining knowledge and doing home demos. I'd have to do shows, do much research on line for educating myself and demo via used marketplace, keeping what I like, selling the rest. It's really golden age for diy system builder, not so good for those relying on dealers. The good thing is there are a lot of experienced audiophiles out there willing and able to help with system building, great resource, use them.

Don't know where you live, but I have at least 4 very good audio dealers near me that set up decently and allow long listening sessions. In addition, there's Crutchfield -- 60 day trials -- and Audio Advisor 30 day trials -- and Music Direct 60 day trials.

So, if you do not have any good stores near you, then I cannot fathom why one or two month trials from e-tailers is not sufficient for you.

@cdc

The logic of your premise is a bit like saying: "I’ll never own a smart phone because Steve Jobs was a mean boss and a terrible father." It’s a little bit complicated, and you have to weigh the pluses and minuses and how they affect your life. It seems as though your waiting for all the stars to line up and present THE ideal scenario before you’re going to be satisfied.

It appears that the dealer you mentioned is leading more towards a mid-fi approach, and not an audio salon. This is neither a good thing or a bad thing. But, don’t go to a fast food restaurant and expect them to tend to your water glass or brush the bread crums off your table mat. "Service on demand" has it’s challenges as a public servant and it’s not easy when you’re required to be spontaneous one moment, then nurturing the next.

I would make the following recommendation in handing your dealer. IF they check any of the boxes where they have something of value to offer you, then proceed as follows:

Call/text/email ahead and define the experience you are looking for and set up a time to make it happen. If you get a "yes" then try this: Ask the dealer/saleman why they got into the business. Then, ask them about their favorite concert. When you turn the conversation around to THEM, you might just open up some avenues of respect, humanize the experience and develop a relationship built on trust. A professional level of commitment to a fair exchange will insue where the dealer feels a level of moral obligation to take care of you, his customer.

I live in a smaller market (major cites 2 hours north and 3 hours south) and find myself dealing with, lets say, fairly unsophisticated merchants. To get what I want, I often have to train THEM on how to sell to ME. It’s well worth the effort. It not only saves me a 4-6 hour round trip, but maybe pushes them a long just a tab in their careers?

If you love this hobby as much as it appears that you do, be prepared to do some of the heavy lifting yourself -- even when others let you down.

-- from a retired audio dealer

I suppose I was spoiled in that I had local dealers that were willing to give much time to a young fella trying to learn and without the money to purchase much of the equipment I was listening to. I also had local dealer who sold new and took used on consignment, this inventory extremely large. I developed friendships with some, got to hear personal setups. All in all this was golden age of B&M for me.

Local B&M today mostly about home theater, and the audiophile brands they carry mainstream brands, over priced, don't interest me. I was kicked out of one local emporium for the mere mention of internet sales, loudly berated in front of other customers, that was final straw for me.