Interesting post, Sean. I never attend the shows or spend much time in the shops, so I will refrain from commenting on specific systems. Also, the 'sales job' you describe here speaks for itself, and so requires no elaboration from me.
I would, however, like to note what I feel might be a reason for the phenomenon you describe of audiophiles perhaps more typically reporting on successfully synergistic systems than combos that fail to ignite.
We have all read disclaimers about how tough it is to achieve good sound at shows in particular, but there is a factor which may go beyond that probable truth. There is in audio, as in science or philosophy, the matter of not being able to prove the negative.
If you audition a system and it sounds great, then you know without a doubt that the combo is capable of excellent performance under the right circumstances. But if you hear a system that you and/or others think simply does not work as it ought to, you cannot be certain that there does not exist the possibility of one or more "X" factors causing the resultant sound to be worse than the combo might be optimally capable of.
I think audiophiles as a group tend to realize this, whether consciously or not, and accordingly refrain from passing total judgement when they hear something that they feel doesn't get the job done. Unless comparisions are done in a controlled environment, over a period of time, with known variables to complement the unknowns, I think most folks will quite rightly cut a little slack before drawing hard conclusions, especially for gear with a high reputation (or, let's face it, price tag).
I would, however, like to note what I feel might be a reason for the phenomenon you describe of audiophiles perhaps more typically reporting on successfully synergistic systems than combos that fail to ignite.
We have all read disclaimers about how tough it is to achieve good sound at shows in particular, but there is a factor which may go beyond that probable truth. There is in audio, as in science or philosophy, the matter of not being able to prove the negative.
If you audition a system and it sounds great, then you know without a doubt that the combo is capable of excellent performance under the right circumstances. But if you hear a system that you and/or others think simply does not work as it ought to, you cannot be certain that there does not exist the possibility of one or more "X" factors causing the resultant sound to be worse than the combo might be optimally capable of.
I think audiophiles as a group tend to realize this, whether consciously or not, and accordingly refrain from passing total judgement when they hear something that they feel doesn't get the job done. Unless comparisions are done in a controlled environment, over a period of time, with known variables to complement the unknowns, I think most folks will quite rightly cut a little slack before drawing hard conclusions, especially for gear with a high reputation (or, let's face it, price tag).