Is my Salesman telling the Truth?

Your salesman's advise is worthless because he is totally biased and not at all subjective. I agree that you have to try all the cables in your system before making a decision. I went through it and while it was not that much fun, it saved me a lot of time and money in the long run.

I personally had very little luck with either the Cardas or Tara. With my single post speakers, Transparent Ref XL worked great. I eventually replaced them Nordost Valhalla which I currently have and love.

You have to test the cables in your system. And it's a pain but the only way to find what fits and what won't.

There is a local dealer with whom I've dealt for quite some time. They are good, honest as I expect any salesmen to be, and quite technically capable. That said, it's never ceased to amaze me over the years that whenever I inquired about a line they didn't carry, it always came up short - they found various nits to pick. However, this line we have here will best it in ___________ (fill in the blank). The irony of this was brought home to me when they carried both Krell and Levinson, heaping praise on both (as you might imagine). But at some point they had a tiff with Krell and no longer carried the line: yes, you guessed it: ask about any Krell product and they will trot out a litany of faults of the piece and why Levinson is better. Guess the moral is that their honesty tends to be selective as a function of what they sell vis-a-vis the competition. Just be aware of it and you can filter the BS from the truth.

Without meaning to offend any salesmen in this forum, I will say here that if I ever hear a sales rep say that thus and such carried by the competition is better, I'll no doubt fall over in a dead faint.

As for your salesman's comment about network cables, it's bunk, too. Whatever effect those networks have, they'll have on any signal passing through them.

I have had the same experience as Adamanteus, where a salesman will disparage a brand he doesn't carry. I hate this. In fact, when I go to a new shop I will sometimes bring up another, competing brand to gauge the reaction. If a salesman starts pooping on a brand I know well and have had great results with, it ruins any credibility he might build with me. At that point, I figure the guy is just "moving metal," couldn't care less if I get the best component for me, or if I ever come back to his shop; he just wants to sell me today what's best for him. Such behavior is pathetic, especially in a field where buyers can become loyal and will come back many times over many years.

Your salesman is telling the truth alright - as long as it works for him. I was in sales years ago and management DOES put pressure on to push products that have a better profit margin. Not only in audio but everyplace. This is life and that's a fact. That does NOT mean there are no honest salespeople, it only means that most honest salespeople who work on commission don't take home big fat paychecks every week.
What you want to do (and it takes time) is find a dealer you like and you can deal with for MOST of your gear. It takes time to develop a relationship...lots of time.