Stregth in opinion does not necessitate rudeness. My� comment, "PURE CHINTZIPHILE," was rude. I apologize for that.
It doesn’t have to be a manly contest, nor a game. Try authentically making a new friend and don’t make the deal the greatest thing to come out of it. You may find the wealth of knowledge of the dealership’s employees to be a huge benefit in the future.
Anyone who sounds arrogant or too proud gets the smack down around here. The guys on this forum almost always want to help, even if information and advice can be conflicting. No one has cause to doubt your manliness, but frankly, that has nothing to do with it.
Try this on for size; meekness is strength. Meekness puts the other person first, not self. It takes into consideration the needs of others and attempts to moderate one’s own tendency to dominate or control. It actually takes strength to be self-confident without being a loudmouth or obnoxious. Many men would do well to consider strength of character that goes beyond the typical male persona. Some of the most impressive men I have met are not out to be Alpha Males, but strong marriage partners, great fathers, considerate persons and sensible leaders, etc. No one pushes these guys around, but they don’t have to prove anything, either.
If you are new to this, be a student, especially of new gear that you are unfamiliar with. Don’t see the dealer as an obstacle, but a resource (not to be abused).
One last thing; as someone who literally builds hundreds of systems, if you want to go it alone, be the man about it making his own decisions independent of others’, i.e. dealer input, etc. you likely will not end up with a great system, especially if you are new at this. Pride and lack of experience are imo the biggest reasons people make huge mistakes in establishing audio systems. So, if you are just getting rolling, and you don’t have a clue why you like some rigs better/more appealing than others, it would pay to ratchet back the confrontational bargaining.
I suggest you go back to the dealer, offer an apology for coming off poorly, tell them your budget range and ask to be taught. The odds are better than average that it would be superior to a system you would cobble together online. After all, you did find it impressive enough to try bargaining.
Anyway, that’s my attempt at striking up a friendship that I started on my bad note. :)
