Auditioning gear for purchase.. not in town

there is no substitute for an in-home audition.
hopefully, you can find some products sold direct that are of interest to you. in that case , you call the manufacturer and listen.

if the item has a decent rtesale, you can buy it used and then resll that item for a small loss.

i do not put much credence in a demo at a dealer or at a friend's house. it doesn't tell you much. i liked the synergy of a tube amp in another stereo system. when i hooked it up in my stereo system, i did not like it.

hi sounds real audio:

i appreciate your salesmanship and confidence, but there is no way to know in advance whether you will want to keep a component until you have auditioned it in your own system, for some period of time. i don't think this principle is open to discussion. to insist otherwise, is unrealistic.

i rarely visit dealers, as i realize that a demo at a dealer does not eliminate any risk that i won't like a component in my own system.

thus, it pays either not to buy that component or buy it used, with the hope of reslling it if i don't like it. in either case, a dealer does not get a sale.

there are some exceptions, when a dealer's ears are trusted and there is an attractive discount.