I've not had great experiences going into high end shops in the past few years:
- When I was upping my game I wanted to hear the upper line of Martin logan speakers, largely bc I've love them since I was a kid but also because those models 15a 13a 11a were designed to self correct in an asymmetrical room such as ours. And I wanted to hear a variety of top grade amps. The first place in nyc basically told me i was an idiot if i bought anything other than B&W driven by Mcintosh. Left without listening to them. They had the ML but didn't want to play them for me.
- The other NYC place was pretty great, I'll give them (always liked d and respected them) that but didn't have the gear i thought we wanted. We did like the guys but didn't like the top B&Ws at all. Rockports sounded good but still wanted to hear those MLs.
- Went to a place upstate on the way to our country place and at first one guy seemed pretty cool and I bought a piece of two but then they insulted me and my wife as we were leaving without realizing we could totally hear them behind the fake wall. I don't think they raise everyone can hear their snide/condescending comments, but they blew a pretty good sale since i liked some of their gear and it was in the running for the pricier gear we bought.
- And lyric shut down before i could get back there, seriously, i nearly cried. Maybe i did. Loved them since i was a teenager.
- started looking for other showrooms and gave up, just started picking up on good deals I found on gear I knew I Cid make my money back on:
Pass 350.8, vac sig II, holo may kte, aurendar n200, rel 812's, and my favorite: martin Logan CLX Art speakers. Ppl weep when they hear their favorite songs on them.
But man, I do wish there was a great store that I could've bonded with someone over the cultivating of this remarkable system.