What are some good things to do when going to an audition

The most important thing to remember when going into any store and asking for their time is to be friendly and respectful.  There is nothing worse, from the dealer's perspective than someone who is expecting to be ripped off and is spoiling for a fight.  Good dealers really want to educate their customers and show why you should desire what they are offering.  They like what they are offering and are committed to their products.  I know dealers who will spend many hours with customers who are looking for modest gear.  If the customer shows an interest in what the dealer is saying and engages the dealer in a friendly manner, that is often more of a motivation for the dealer than the prospects of a big sale; it is NOT all about the Benjamins. 

Record the demo on your phone so you can play it back at home to hear what it would sound like..

pesky_wabbit

Record the demo on your phone so you can play it back at home to hear what it would sound like..

 + 1.   Use a better video cam (and an external mic) if avail.

Alex/wavetouch 

Be honest about what you are really getting out of an "audition" at a dealer and what you are really listening to. 90% of the time you are probably not getting what you want,  maybe even 99% of the time. Best advice I read here?   Get a home audition. Almost anything else is a waste of time. 2nd best advice is to listen to speakers near field.

Some stores that will allow auditions of electronics will not allow auditions of speakers.  Speakers are bulky things with very delicate (easily damaged) finishes.  It is so common for someone to accidentally bump the cabinet and cause damage. 

I wonder about those places that sell direct that allow one to audition in home for a month or two with options to return the item.  Do they re-package and sell a return item as new?  How many cycles before such item is no longer "new"?  

A store can offer to loan out a floor model for audition, but, that cannot be for any significant length of time because of the need to have the speaker back on the floor.  Something that goes out for such auditions cannot honestly be sold as brand new, so unboxing something that is in stock is not a realistic option. 

Some stores don't have a fixed policy, rather, they allow or don't allow in-home auditions based on comfort with the particular customer--if you are a good long-term customer, you can borrow gear.  A local store in my area frequently lends gear to regular customers even when the customer is not really shopping and is just curious how a particular piece sounds in his system.  I once saw a customer "borrow" an ultra expensive phono cartridge (more than  $10k)  out of curiosity (I was nervous touching the box, never mind mounting such a scary beast).