As we’ve said elsewhere, we believe that a great hi-fi or home theatre system is tailor-made, rather than off-the-peg: in other words, the most satisfying sound and vision experiences derive from components that have been properly matched and thoughtfully installed to best meet your requirements. As opposed to those of your dealer, or of a magazine reviewer.
The best sound and vision dealers deliver precisely that experience. They’ll listen to your needs, explain the options available, take on board any preferences you might have (whether they pertain to how the system looks, how it sounds or any other consideration) and then respond with a series of system options that fulfill your criteria. Then, after some fine-tuning, they’ll offer you a demonstration, after which if everything’s gone according to plan you should feel sufficiently confident to go ahead and make a purchase.