zavato, it can be frustrating to be let down by the performance of a product which you were impressed by at a dealer or show. It is a common experience, partly because we anchor to the sound of a product in situ, but the room, the gear, practically everything is different in our own rig.
The bottom line is that a demo in no way assures satisfaction with a product.
There is only one way to assure you will like the product more than the one it is replacing, a home demo. Even then, if the wrong principles are used in assessment, you may get stuck with an unsatisfactory product long term.
And, for the record, never ever use the expectation of break in to hold on to a product that does not perform well enough to be enthralled from the start. This is one of my Audiophile Laws that pushes back against the received wisdom regarding new components, cables, or speakers.
The audiophile with a lower end system has a higher probability of being pleased with a new product that may have a substantial advantage over the old, i.e, a tower speaker with better low-end extension than a bookshelf speaker.
However, as the system rises in quality, it becomes harder to assure the advancement of the system with the introduction of a new product. Audiophiles should expect about a 50% failure rate on blind upgrades in a higher end system.
Doing your homework, and even a demo apart from your room is no assurance of long-term satisfaction.
