James, I think that some dealers just favor certain lines. Some don't like Bryston due to their warranty believe it or not. They think the warranty should only be extended for used stuff when sold through an authorized dealer. I decided on the BDA-1 and sold my BCD-1. I went to Audiogon and found a 3 week old BDA-1 at a nice price. Some dealers like lines where they can keep selling add-ons to what the customer has already bought. I've seen dealers push things on customers only due to the fact there is less competition for what they are pushing in the local area or in the used market. Audiophiles are buying for their preferences. Dealers are selling to maximize their profit. Sometimes those things clash. I don't go to my local dealer as much as I used to (I probably have not been there in almost a couple of years). Why? - easy - probably 60% of what is on his floor is one brand that is just not my cup of tea and that doesn't change over periods of time. When he plays me the best he has from other stuff, I don't hear anything better than what I have at home and sometimes it is significantly lacking in terms of sound quality from what I have. When such a large part of your business is one brand and you don't get out to audio shows you lose perspective on what is out there vs. what you sell.
