Friends,
Thank you all again for your input. I want to rephrase my first question, because I think I misrepresented the issue by using the word "pretend". My fault.
1. I would absolutely never ask anyone to set up a system for me, let alone uncrate a sealed product. That's just ridiculous. Even if they offered (which some have), I would insist that they not go to the trouble.
2. I do not monopolize the dealer's time. The first thing I say when I walk in is, "I'm just hear to look around," or "I'm not buying anything today, but I'd love a chance to hear xxx if it's not too much trouble." The reason I'm asking this question is that I understand how frustrating it must be for a dealer to spend time helping a customer and be left with nothing in return. My morals are tested when I leave the dealer with an unsaid impression that I very well may be coming back to buy.
So my original question was asked assuming that one would follow the above two points. My conundrum is that I'm 20 years old, don't have a lot of experience, clout, or money, and I want to make the best investment possible given my restrictions. I don't believe I can make a good choice of speaker without hearing a good representation of what's out there. Moreover, I have no intention of wasting my life buying and selling every speaker on Audiogon until I find the right one. Such a course of action would be financially dangerous (I've been jerked around one too many times on eBay), and, more importantly, it would be a waste of time.
Because of my limited finances, I do not have the option of "rewarding" a dealer for his help by buying his speakers. It's not just "a little more expensive" as some have stated. We're talking price differences on the order of thousands of dollars between new and used. But I can reward them with my politeness, courtesy, gratefulness, and (most importantly) future business when I can afford to buy new. After some thought over the course of the day, I'm confident in what I've said here. If people still believe that this is rude, given the points made above, I would be hard pressed to continue my interest in the world of hi fi.
