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

I consider it wrong to use a local dealer to audition audio equipment with no intention of buying it from that store. It is selfish and exudes the bad neighbor syndrome of believing others in life are present for your personal entertainment/education. But negotiating price with a local dealer based on what other dealers will sell the equipment for is acting responsibly with a budget. If the local dealer wants the sale they will do their best to get close on the price offered by their competitors; if they don't want to cut their margins, then they will refuse to sell to a willing buyer seeking a fair deal. That is the local dealer saying no to an interested buyer, not the customer wrongly using the local dealer. And it should be noted that "local" has a much different meaning today with dealers that will ship product to you and allow you to try it risk free for a given time period. I have bought new from a local dealer-- and new from a less than local dealer. I have refused to do business with dealers who want to misrepresent where the transaction occurred or offer to sell me "new" stuff that requires me to lie and say I live outside another dealer's territory. Also, I have received good advice and service from non-local dealers who respond quickly to email, answer their phones, follow up with manufacturers to address concerns and have adjusted to the shrinking world the internet has created. 

I personally never quibble about price if I'm buying from a local audio dealer.  If I'm buying new, so long as I know I'm just not getting shafted on the price, I'm not going to haggle.  It's my feeling that running a high end audio store is difficult enough - it's not like tons of people get rich off of it.  And every sale counts.  So I don't want to skimp and take money out of the very profit the dealer needs to run his shop.

Prof- with respect to your hypothetical about whether you are ethically bound to purchase a product from the B&M store when you liked the product but not the audition experience, I'd say no.  When you buy B&M, a portion of the "value" you get in exchange for the higher price you pay includes customer service.  If the service (e.g., the way you were treated) is poor before the sale, imagine how it will be AFTER they have already have your $!  Your decision process w respect to the A/N's was way more than that store deserved, IMO.  In that case, they did not earn your business.  If I ever got treated that way, you can bet I'd never be back.

Right.  If they're jerks, no problem at all.  Or, if they're idea of level-matching is giving the one that's in stock or has a higher margin a couple db cushion.  Same guy who trashes everything you and competitors have and even his own product if it's not in stock.  Same guy who won't stfu while one tries to listen to the wonderfulness he kept describing.  Go somewhere else.  No problem.

I’m in sales and I buy from my customers. Think about that. I.....buy.....from.....my......customers! When I need something that one of my customers sells, I buy from them. I don’t care what the price is. They support me and therefore I support them. It boils down to, what comes around goes around. If you’re going to visit a local store that offers you some form of service you should buy from them if you decide to purchase that product. When you do, those dollars go back into the local economy and will come back to you in some small way. Obviously I am a huge proponent of buying local. Do you want that store to be there? Then buy from them! Generally speaking I bet the service you receive is far better then your online source.