Sorry so long getting back on my trip.
We had a great time visiting a few of the recommended dealers. We were being chauffeured by friends that live in Dallas. They have no real appreciation for audio. To them fm radio is as good as it gets.
We managed to visit 5 of the recommended stores. All were courteous and helpful. Of note were Crystal Clear Audio and John Fort Audio. Don and John both went out of there way to make us comfortable and try to guide us in the right direction.
At Crystal Clear we had a discussion about my equiptment, plans for upgrades, and what I was looking for in speakers. The recommendation was Dynaudio audience 82. The audition room was a bit small for this speaker but sound was great. When we left I really felt I had found a speaker that would work for me. Don was very helpful and it showed why his store is rated so high.
Next up John Fort. After a brief discussion we decided to listen to the Gallo 3.1's and Vandersteens. Gallo's first and as soon as Patricia Barber's cd began I knew we were in store for something special. A few minutes into the first cut Dennis(one of the Dallas friends) leaned over and asked "does this sound as good as I think it does?". My reply, yes! Everything we were looking for. We listened to the Vandy's next but honestly know one was interested. We all wanted another round with the Gallo's but just couldn't justify taking up more of John's time.
To everyone who contributed to this thread a sincere Thank You. Your suggestions made our audition trip a huge success.
Steve
