Is this rude?

Omains, your original question was very well addressed above. Per your last question, my experience with buying through Audiogon is quite good. Bear in mind that buying direct is increasingly difficult as the components increase in complexity and size, regardless of the quality of those who are selling the components. Speakers are difficult to unpack, hook up, sell, pack and ship. Lot's can happen with each step and not all of it is good. There is value to simply using a local dealer and it is worth some extra money -- how much depends on you and your needs and wants. When I lived in Boston, my dealer delivered the speakers and set them up in my home. That avoids any finger pointing about damage that might have occurred en route. My current speakers were purchased directly and the uncrating and setup was a pain in the rear end -- but I couldn't get those speakers locally. So, don't worry too much about Audiogon (with all the caveats about checking selling history, insurance, etc that have been in many threads). Do consider the convenience of a local dealer as being worth something -- especially if something goes wrong.