What's the farthest you've travelled to audition a piece of audio gear and what was it?

Now that we've established that many of you will buy equipment without an audition, let's find out how far you have travelled to actually hear something you are interested in purchasing. Tell us about your most epic audition odyssey.

What's the farthest you've travelled to audition a piece of audio gear and what was it?
Up to 50 miles
31% (35 votes)
50 to 100 miles
19% (22 votes)
100-200 miles
16% (18 votes)
200-300 miles
8% (9 votes)
300-500 miles
7% (8 votes)
500-1000 miles
7% (8 votes)
1000-2000 miles
2% (2 votes)
2000-3000 miles
4% (4 votes)
More than 3000 miles
6% (7 votes)
Total votes: 113

COMMENTS
Grosse Fatigue's picture

I go to my computer in next room! Seriously, I have been buying all my equipment used and on the Internet for at least the past four years. I won't travel nowhere! I rely on Stereophile, TAS, and Hi-Fi+ reviews before making a decision. If I don't like what I purchase, I just resell it on the Internet.

Dilbert's picture

On the road again, going places where I've never been. Seeing things that I might never see again. I can't wait to get on the road again. Seriously, I try to drive as little as possable.

Mike Myers Baby's picture

Rega P25 Well worth the trip

Tilmann Mahkorn's picture

Visiting the US from Germany, I stopped by in Boston to audition both the Revel System and the McIntosh MC2000. Both are mine today.

Erwin Luna's picture

I went there to experience Legacy's Whisper Speakers 1996. When is the next show in San Francisco? fenix1@aol.com

Christopher's picture

Here in the tiny island of Singapore, most major audiophile brands are housed under one roof and the farthest that you have to or are able to travel is 15 miles in any direction without leaving the country.

tusky's picture

I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada. I traveled to Vancover to hear Linn gear to see what all the hoopla was about. Well, hoop-hoop! Worth the trip and my car did not go home empty, neither!

Stephen Curling's picture

A 50 mile radius is good enough for me.

Max L's picture

The beauty of living in NY—you don't have to go anywhere!

zvi papirblat's picture

From Tel Aviv, Israel to New York City and Andy Singer's store—to listen the JM Lab Grand Utopia with dcs and Krell electronics.

Todd R's picture

An hour-and-a-half drive is typical, but once I drove three hours to Glen Poor's to hear a pair of Maggies.

Al Marcy's picture

Went from Phoenix to LA to hear Dr. Bruce Edgar's 80Hz E-horns. Brought them home.

EM's picture

Audio Note ANV-z IC

Pete Montgomery's picture

My wife and I did a 600-mile round trip (in 30 hours) to buy a pair of Infinity Kappa 9s. The owner had them set up for me to audition, but I couldn't get them in the truck fast enough for an audition in my system. Well worth the drive! Went 400 miles to hear Legacy Whispers and Focus.

C.  Healthgut, M.D., FACS's picture

I like to keep it close in case of after-sale technical problems, should I decide to buy. I also have a good working relationship with my local dealer (Audio Den).

davet's picture

There is nothing new under the sun! Just a better marketing plan. The initial release of the CD was the most impressive audio audition I ever experienced. There have been some tweaks around the fringes, but overall nothing new that warrants a lot of time spent travelling to hear/see a device. Although the audio experience may be stimulating, it does compare to the electricity of a live performance in a small venue; i.e Small theaters-concert halls for classical and intimate clubs fro Jazz and rock. Now live music is with travelling to "audition".

Jim Rees's picture

When you live in a small town in a rural part of a state, you must travel considerable distances to audition high-end audio equipment. This has gotten worse in the last ten years, with the conversion of many local dealers to home-theater/custom install formats. Due to lack of competition, competitive prices are also hard to come by, except online and by phone.

Paul J.  Stiles, Mtn.View, CA's picture

When I was in junior high, I peddled my bicycle from Millville to Vineland (in south NJ), a vast distance of seven miles, to listen to a coaxial two-way speaker that I wanted to buy. I had purchased a portable cassette player with my paper route money and was already dissatisfied with the sound.

Tony P., Phoenix, AZ's picture

As much as I enjoy audio, I have better things to do than spend hours auditioning components when I travel. And travelling solely for the purpose of visiting an audio dealer is, IMHO, a serious misuse of my precious travel time and resources. That's what mail order is for—so I don't have to travel.

Al Earz's picture

Once I was in Vegas for a business meeting and being a non-gambler/drinker I had an afternoon to kill. So I went to a local audio shop and spent the afternoon listening to speakers. What else would a bored boy do in Vegas?

Norman Bott's picture

Only to Bethesda, MD from Washington DC.

tony esporma's picture

Drove up to the San Fernando Valley a while back to listen to a used set of PSB Goldis for my home theater. The guy was nice, the speakers sounded good, and he made me a great deal on the matching center channel. It was tight fit in my sedan, but it was a good way to spend a Saturday morning. In the LA basin, you pretty much can find anything if you're willing to brave 100 miles of freeway.

Timothy O.  Driskel's picture

When spending $300–5000 on each piece you had better believe I drive to hear! In the old days I just had the salesman hold the phone receiver up close!

Dimitris Gogas's picture

I traveled 650 miles in a day to audition some giant Class&#233 electronics. They were driving even bigger MG 20s. At first I could only hear the roar of my car's engine still in my head. After a while I took out my CDs and just enjoyd myself. Returned home same day and a month later bought me some new speakers. No prizes for guessing what speakers. The amps are still waiting.

fred's picture

Speaker

Frank Valery's picture

I went from Caracas to Paris to audition a pair of JM Lab Electras 926, which I bought.

David L.  Wyatt jr.'s picture

I live in Columbus, and I went to dealers in Akron, Dayton, and Cincinnati before purchasing my new amp and speakers. The trips were worthwhile, they resolved doubts, let me deal with people who treated me with appreciation. There are both good and bad dealers out there. I ended up with a McIntosh integrated and Paradigm Reference speakers, both of which I will be happy with for a long time.

Jeff's picture

Auditioning surround speakers.

Sergio P's picture

It might not seem much but in Mexico City's traffic that translates to two–three hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

allan stock's picture

I traveled from Philadelphia to Bethesda, Maryland to visit JS Audio in order to see and hear the Sonus-Farber Amati Homage speakers. They really were absolutely georgeous, but I was very surprised that, much as I wanted them to, they didn't produce a sound that thrilled me. On the other hand, I did very much like what I heard from Dynaudio's Crafft speakers. Already a Dynaudio owner I realized that you can become accustomed to the "signature sound" of a manufacturer's product line. Live and learn.

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