Thanks for all the feedback. The set I really want is the Pioneer PRO-610 which, unfortunately, is very pricey compared to competitive models from Mitsubishi and Sony. It can be had for about $4600 + shipping from a number of sources online, and seems to go for $5500-6000 if you just ask for a quote from a local dealer. I'm a bit worried about the scenario mentioned above - going through the local shop who has it shipped to them and then delivers it to me without opening it. The value-add doesn't seem to be there UNLESS there's a problem, in which case they'll likely have an interest in making me happy.
I did find a local dealer who is an authorized repair shop for the line, and their price ($6000 initial quote) includes delivery and fine tuning on-site. I'm probably going to work with them to get the differential down from the $1400 it is at initial quote - it's definitely worth 1/2 that to guarantee satisfaction, reward the local dealer, etc.
BTW, if anyone is unaware of www.pricescan.com, it's really great for finding the best online prices of a lot of electronics. Obviously, you don't find the high-end stuff there, but there's a lot of pretty-good stuff there, and they show price trends for specific products over time, etc. The graph of the PRO-610 shows when Pioneer obviously cut prices, and also supports that $6000 is at the upper end of the asking-price market for that set, a graph which I'll take with me to help negotiate a better price. -Kirk
