This is a very interesting thread. I agree with Judy426 to a large extent (although you might not know it to read my review on the Summits). There are some real dogs out there, and it seems like a lot of the stuff doesn't live up to the "hype". I firmly believe that a person should LISTEN TO THE COMPONENT IN QUESTION for THEMSELVES, rather than relying on some stranger they've never even met. On the other hand, in my case having a brilliant, but STRAIGHT-SHOOTING (!!!!!!!!) dealer to rely on for advice was vital in helping to assemble what I consider to be my OWN ideal system. A certain loudspeaker comes to mind that looked great on paper, but I just hated passionately upon first listen, and it was the company's "flagship". Gosh awful to my ears, but lots of people swear by them.
To me, this demonstrates the necessity of trusting one's OWN ears, and possibly those of a trusted confidante whose sonic preferences have consistently paralleled one's own over a span of several years on many different items.
To me, this demonstrates the necessity of trusting one's OWN ears, and possibly those of a trusted confidante whose sonic preferences have consistently paralleled one's own over a span of several years on many different items.