Nowhere to hear speakers and amps anymore!

In RIchmond, VA, we are very fortunate to have a beautiful new audio store, Carytown Sound (carytownsound.com), which just opened this fall. It has a nice range of equipment and an enthusiastic owner and staff who are very low pressure. Really a gem at this time when brick and mortar stores are disappearing. 

The disappearance of retail stores has been supplemented with the emergence of a vibrant online used market.  Do your research and buy used smartly, and if it doesn’t work out turn around and sell it for little/no loss.  In some ways it’s almost better because you get to hear a piece of equipment in your own room/system that’s often not possible through a traditional dealer, and you often get a 50% discount for your trouble.  I’ve had much success doing this, but it obviously works less well with things like large/heavy speakers.  

@hchilcoat 

Thanks for posting that. I am two hours west of Richmond. I will definitely check out that place next time I’m in the area.

@aldermine 

+1 regarding Music Lovers. Good selection, and incredibly helpful staff in my experience, anyway.

Be weary of Audio Vision. They literally charge you $250 if you want to audition any gear and you are only given that money back as a credit if you make a purchase within 90 days. Also, in my three or four times of walking in, each time was greeted with serious attitude.

They do offer a huge lineup of gear though, so if you know what you want and don’t want to deal with the trouble of going through an LA dealer, they might be a worthwhile option.