High End Audio Dealers


I am sure this question has been asked many times before, but I am new to Audiogon. I am researching audion equipment. Unfortunately, I live in Birmingham, Alabama and the high end audio dealers are few. Most have converted to become custom AV installers. There are only a couple here and they handle a limited stock. How do you audition equipment if you have no local dealers that handle the manufacturers you are looking for? I guess I could drive 2 hours to Atlanta.
mcclungw
The glory of the internet and sites like Audiogon make it easy for everyone to find great gear at sizeable discounts. There is always someone whoring out virtually any product for some starving dealer. The downfall to all of this? Dealers make zero in the transaction and therefore high end audio dealers will soon be a distant memory leaving in its place shops that focus solely on theater and custom installations. We will be left with a consumer self-serviced market. No place to demo gear, get support (less the manufacturer) and hear multiple pieces at once. But hey, the gear is cheap!
Good Lord, don't you know that large cities are only life support structures for high end dealers...travel! I've got a minimum of 2 hours to drive to my regular dealer and the biggest town in NC, Charlotte, has been years since it had a high end MUSIC dealer...by the by...I drove 9 hours to Atlanta, twice, to audition pieces I thought I'd like...4 hours to Richmond. Take a friend, share the gas.
Just the way it is, markets are only so big.

Jeff
ive drove half way across the country to look at gear,im lucky in the respect that i now know what i want & only have to drive to buy it.

mike.