Quandary

It's one thing if you were actively looking at that amp to purchase - even paying $300 for an audition could well be worth it to you compared to buying, not liking it, then having to resell.

But then you weren't actively looking. There could well be other amps out there for you to audition that won't cost $300 to listen to, and that you may like equally well.

As long as your willing to lose the $300, go for it. That could well be a bargain compared to not listening to it  and having the "what ifs" keeping you awake at night.

But you could also check around for other shops that may have a loaner program

if you can afford 300 bucks lost go for it and test it... Life is too short to stay in doubt...

 I am in a more tight budget... And i love too much what i have now...

@rvpiano , I can only speak for myself, but I would not pay $300 to audition the monoblocks that were not the ones that I was going to buy. Honestly, I think I would have a hard time seeing my way clear to paying $300 to audition the equipment that I was thinking of buying. However, I assume that in the event you did buy the equipment that you were auditioning the $300 audition feen would come off the price?

I think I got the impression from one or some of your posts that you live in NYC? And with no sarcasm intended, I suspect things like dealers bring equipment over to a clients home for audition is probably different there then in other places?

I live on Long Island.

Not sarcasm, you’re right!

I wouldn’t audition one unless it is the model I intended to buy if I liked it. 
 

My crazy mind would not be able to trust the less powerful amp sounding the same, to the good or bad…

But I’m not the sharpest fish in sea.