The internet and Audiogon are a double edged sword. There's a lot more information readily available, but the quality of that info can be very questionable. I firmly believe that a newcomer to high end audio is better served by a good full service dealer than wading into the forums at audiogon. For the experienced hobbyist the situation is reversed.
One thing I've noticed on Audiogon is that someone will ask about a specific piece of equipment and a typical response is "it's great, I had it for a year before changing to something else that I had before putting together my current rig". The internet has lead to greater equipment experimentation, but I really wonder if it has led to greater consumer satisfaction. Constantly swapping equipment is great if you're an equipment junkie, but it's a pain if all you want to do is listen to music.
One thing I've noticed on Audiogon is that someone will ask about a specific piece of equipment and a typical response is "it's great, I had it for a year before changing to something else that I had before putting together my current rig". The internet has lead to greater equipment experimentation, but I really wonder if it has led to greater consumer satisfaction. Constantly swapping equipment is great if you're an equipment junkie, but it's a pain if all you want to do is listen to music.