Thanks for the reply Thaler. I've heard systems that are set up like this and for the most part I'm still on the fence. I've heard them loose a bit of life at times. Similar to what I've heard with some (named and expensive) power cables/boxes. If you have a difficult room, I fully get it, but my rooms over the years have been pretty good overall. A simple hung quilt or a plant in the corner has done the trick. As for setting up the speakers with lasers etc...I'm a proponent. Vandersteen has been doing this for years and it works. I have a program within Amarra that I can use to eq things, but I've still be reluctant. I heard the Lyndorf that Macintosh rebrands clean up a nasty 50z node in a dealers show room here in CT and it worked wonders. , so I'm not saying it doesn't work. I just think that if you have a dealer who knows his products that he can set them up properly in most any room. I doubt if the 'calibration' can fix poor components, but I FULLY understand what you are saying.
Interesting marketing for me as to me, it's just another reason we pay a dealer mark up and that's to set up their speakers properly in our spaces. I guess is kind of agree, lol.