Over the past 30 years or so in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area I have seen high-end dealers come and go at an amazing rate. Only a very few have managed to stay in business, and I believe the reason they have been able to do so is the expanding Home Theater market. There is still enough complexity and mystic surrounding the implementation of a first rate installation to warrant, in the customer's mind, the added expense of buying new and having professional assistance in set-up. Even so, these days may be coming to a close as you can hire expert installers who do not have an investment in 'bricks and mortor' and could care less what type of equipment you may have. High-end audio is a tough business and future for the traditional small business owner model does not look good and may in time pretty much disappear altogether. For myself, I consider it already 'six feet under'.
