Store auditioning and then buying on-line from others. How do you feel about it ?

@zavato. I think, if one has taken the LAS's time to audition its item and it was cool about it, one should then give the LAS to opportunity to match that online 1/2 price before clicking "buy-it."  If it's close, probably better to go with the LAS, particularly if it has a good reputation for questions and support.

"Obligated" to pay double?  No.  Morally obligated to give the LAS a fair shot to earn the business by price or service?  I personally think so.

I suspect some places, if you are up front about it and they aren't busy, will still offer a brief audition even if only to try to establish a relationship or future sale, even if they can't/won't match the online price.  Or offer some added benefit--maybe delivery and set-up or something to justify a slightly higher price.

I do  my best to support local business. I am willing to pay more when provided value added. Its that simple.

Here’s a story. I went to a local shop Monday after Thanksgiving and auditioned headphones with my Chord Mojo DAC. Ended up buying a pair of Grado phones I auditioned. Except none in stock so dealer imdicated they could order it for me from their store on Amazon and have it shipped to me. So they did. All good. I even got a 10% cyber Monday discount

Two weeks later now and still no phones delivered. Maybe tomorrow. Turns out they had to have the phones shipped to the store first which took longer than expected and then ship them to me. They were in the store finally yesterday.

I could probably have ordered them straight on Amazon wih Amazon prime and had them sent straight to me in two days. Now I got an online discount plus dealer has to cover two shipping costs.

Just weird. Where is the profit in that?  Very inefficient process for everyone. 

In order to survive, the audio dealers have to offer payment plans or even leasing just like automobiles. 
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A truly good dealer can be an invaluable thing and sometimes you pay more money up front to spend less later. A good dealer realizes that the true audio enthusiast that comes in may not buy something that day, or may not be able to afford what he wants. Spending the time today to treat someone with respect chitchat and give good advice can pay dividends both ways.

After years of buying gear on here, getting stuff I bought hear fixed at my local dealer and listening. I finally bought a demo piece. Then I bought tubes, eventually had that piece upgraded. When I decided to buy speakers last year I decided after everything I wanted to buy something brand new from that dealer and I did. So don't been an a**hole, but, by the same token most of shopping is browsing. Be honest start a rapport with your dealer and who knows where you may end up.

It seems that we are all quite nice, at least on paper. I really wanted to audition newest Gryphons, without any intention to buy, and was invited by a NJ dealer after I simply asked the American distributor to send me the price list. I didn't go, but maybe I should've gone and offered them 'audition fees' as I myself just suggested. The reason I wanted to know the prices had nothing to do with buying new, it had to do with possible future buying used. I also wanted to inform the membership here. Also, dealers don't have all models, they can only order them. What do you do ? Drive 500 miles if others have it ? And that's if. But that's another point.