I have had the opportunity to purchase many, "last that I will ever need", components that were eventually, sometimes rather quickly, replaced. I have made the mistake of taking reviews too seriously and affecting my purchase decisions. I have found that for the most part a good retailer who is passionate about the hobby and carries multiple lines can be helpful.
My best example is a pair of speakers that I purchased from a great audio retailer that has since gone out of business in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The speakers, Scientific Fidelity Tesla's, had received a horrible review from Stereophile that made them close to impossible to sell. The retailer took one pair as a demo before the review came our and wound up unable to sell them because of the horrible review. I listened to them and liked them. They threw a great soundstage and were easy on my ears. I purchased them for less than he paid for them as a demo pair and kept them for 3 years. That is a record in my system.
That is my one good story. I do not have the time or the memory space to discuss the purchases that I wound up selling for half of what I paid within 6 months.
My best example is a pair of speakers that I purchased from a great audio retailer that has since gone out of business in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The speakers, Scientific Fidelity Tesla's, had received a horrible review from Stereophile that made them close to impossible to sell. The retailer took one pair as a demo before the review came our and wound up unable to sell them because of the horrible review. I listened to them and liked them. They threw a great soundstage and were easy on my ears. I purchased them for less than he paid for them as a demo pair and kept them for 3 years. That is a record in my system.
That is my one good story. I do not have the time or the memory space to discuss the purchases that I wound up selling for half of what I paid within 6 months.