How many of you have been to one of your local independent high end audio stores in your area. And whats the best system you heard there ?

Bose

I have gone to a few, but not for many years now.

I believe that Most of what you pay for when you buy high-end equipment

(as opposed to "ordinary" but still very good equipment)

is the name on the front panel and Maybe, if you are lucky,

the overall quality of the parts and assembly of the components.

(Nevertheless, McIntosh equipment has a visual appeal

that only my lack of sufficient funds can resist.)

Based on the sound quality alone,

I have yet to hear either a single component or a complete system at Any price point

that makes me want to replace Any of my (mostly) 1970s - 1990s pieces.

A short list of Some of my equipment:

JBL L19 speakers

JBL 4310 speakers

Infinity RS-9 speakers

Sansui AU-710 (same as AU-717) integrated amplifier

Harman/Kardon 330B receiver

Dynaco Stereo 120 power amplifier (Unmodified, and it is going to Remain that way)

Kenwood KR-6200 receiver

H.H. Scott Stereomaster 240 integrated amplifier

HK TD392 cassette deck

Dual 1219 turntable (with several different interchangeable cartridges)

Audio-Technica AT-PL120 turntable (with Shure M91ED cartridge)

Sony CD players

Philips CDR820 CD recorder

... And I have plenty more stuff that is at least decent.

The only impression I get when I go to those stores is the condescending attitude of the sales guy. Just another "audiophile" who has never cracked a book on audio engineering.

Probably a system based on all Sonus Faber speakers in surround with Classe amps Also a stereo only system I think it was also Classe amps not sure with Vienna Acoustics Klimit speakers very impressive for stereo sound...The speakers literally disappeared and it was imposable to localize the sound coming from the speakers even though I could see the speakers right in front of me...This also happened a while back with Sonus Faber speakers at another dealer he had a room full of speakers and asked me to point to the speakers that I thought were playing...I wasn't sure and just pointed at one pair I was wrong the ones that were player were the smallest speakers in the room a pair of Sonus Faber bookshelf speakers barely noticeable sitting on an upper back shelf I didn't even think those speakers were plugged in as they had an offset casual toe in while the others were all strait ahead...and evenly spaced....The Candyman also when it existed had a pair of Sonus Faber speakers set up in the middle of the room on high speaker stands..There were set to really low background music so that you could carry on conversation and hear the salespeople talk but every once in a while some one would ask were is that music coming from? But I guess the hi life was when you got invited to the upstairs listening room and got to hear the latest Martin Logan Electrostatic's in the upper listening room with Mark Livingston amps...I was never really that impressed with them because I thought the room was too small for those speakers and they also played them way too loud...Also I have been in Hi End audio stores in Germany and England...Its all kind of a blur to me though as those Ionizer Audio Speakers in Germany can cause your blood to form bubbles after a while...I was wondering why everyone just left the room and left me in there all by myself.....vas ist los....thats all I remember saying....and it would echo in my mind as I staggered down the street....watching the steam come up from the manholes as it followed me down the street....

Bose

I have. They are rare here but indeed exist.

Still have my 300 dollar bose around ear phones from 2008.

Smart investment.

~Aizen

I might have asked this question before a while back but dont think I got any responses. I'm not talking about the chain stores, I'm talking high end audio video stores than only sell high end audio video equipment and speakers. and what impressed you if anything ?