There are some reasonable alternatives if you do not have an authorized dealer(s) within 200 to 400 miles. First of all, some manufacturers who sell factory-direct do offer a free home trial period, often ranging from 10 to as much 30 days. Your sole responsibility is the shipping costs. Therefore, you may want to contact a specific manufacturer and determine their policy. Some manufacturers are occasionally willing to arrange a trial through an authorized dealer. There are also some enlightened dealers who sell via mail or Internet order who may have similar trial policies. Over the past 20 years or so, I have had considerable success with AUDIOCLASSICS.COM. Yes, their prices can be somewhat on the high side, but it may be a more than acceptable trade-off to insure your satisfaction. I would also suggest contacting Galen Carroll at GCAUDIO.COM. A superb and totally ethical dealer by any objective standard. Other sources to investigate, though I do not know their home trial policies, are: AUDIOLOGIC.COM in Iowa; JSAUDIO.COM in Maryland; and AUDIOMAX-LTD.COM in California. I have personally purchased several items from all of these dealers and never had a problem; and I have also been treated courteously and fairly. HCMAUDIO.COM sometimes has electronics on sale, though they do have a restocking charge. FATWYRE.COM also has some non-cable/interconnect gear for sale on occasion.
Buying "Sound Unheard"
I find myself in a quandry. As much as I know (and recommend) that "audition, audition, audition before purchasing" is the best means to system matching and "audio fulfillment," I find myself doing somewhat the opposite and purchasing quality equipment based on reviews and more importantly, the opinions of peers. Luckily, in my last three purchases (phono stage, cartridge, and now line stage) I've been fortunate in that they've been major boosts to my system. Living where I do, there just isn't access to the brands I'm interested in, plus my schedule is unforgiving. I'm curious as to how many others find themselves in this position, and the resources they use to get around it (including the obvious one - this web site!). As many threads as I see inquiring as to the characteristics of this-and-that, I would suspect that many of "us," especially those in rural or semi-rural areas are in this position. Just Curious. -John