Would you trust a local dealer to help you put

Foster_9, Where ARE you? Asking for tips on good dealers in your area might be helpful.

And of course, when buying new from a dealer, you're going to pay maybe 2x what the same level of gear would cost when it's even 2-3-4 years old (on average). Early on, I realized I could put together roughly twice the level of system for the same $$ by buying used. (With all of the trade-offs of buying used vs. new of course).

In my area, (metro-Boston area) there are a couple of relatively good dealers, the place on Comm. Ave. in Boston is "pretty good", the place in Natick MA is generally good, but even there the "good" salesmen can have weird lapses of recommending really bad component matching. And a "bad" salesmen or repair guy may "go off on you", w/o warning.

Then there's one of the snootiest "audio salons" on the planet: "goodwins high end" in Waltham MA. Even if I wanted brand new gear they sell, I'd buy it somewhere else.

So in general, I recommend doing your own research, maybe even cutting your budget in half (?), & considering buying used gear from A'gon or elsewhere. (unless you feel totally lost of course, which is natural, if you're just starting out).

Just my own, highly opinionated, 2 cents.....

Cmalak, interesting. I got soured on Goodwins High End, when in the mid '90's, I had just bought used B&W M802 speakers. I was a total newbie to high end, & they were pretty useless on giving me any kind of guidance re component matching with those speakers, claimed to not really know anything about them (even tho they're extremely well known speakers), etc. They also wouldn't give me a penny discount (off of list) on anything, no matter how many components I bought.

Then they hired a tall guy from the now defunct audio place in Arlington. (I had bought a lot of stuff at that store). One day he went off on me, LOUDLY, in the front part of the store, in front of other customers & employees, ranting about how horrible my speakers were, while bragging about how many of them he sold at his old store (!?). (If they were so horrible, why didn't he tell his old customers that?). I never went back there.

After also getting clueless (but not rude) advice at a couple of other audio stores in the area, I started relying on advice from other hobbyists on A'gon & elsewhere, & buying & selling used gear to make upgrades I couldn't possibly do always buying new. (A salesman at Natural Sound in Natick--who I like--& overall like the store--& is a B&W dealer--tried to convince me that I could easily power B&W M802's, with a 70 wpc tube amp (!?). Most of his other advice is spot on tho.

But I'm glad you've had good luck there (Goodwins High End). It is a nice store, great listening rooms, & not a zoo like some other places. I just felt they had the most "attitude", & it's far from the first time I've been insulted by an arrogant audio salesman--I don't know what it is about that job that attracts (some of) those "pompous" types....