I think I get it.
Half a million for the sidewalk and half a dollar (quid?) for the speaker isolators.
Let’s see how we can deal with this London pomposity.
There is a lot more to retail than audio. Idaho is a strong buy local state for things we do produce. We get by on what we need, not on what we want.
As for the rest of the “London Chronicles”, name dropping might make you feel good, but those names mean nothing to us.
Here is what I read from your many posts:
London, blah blah blah.
Big name designer, blah blah blah.
Greatest engineer ever, blah blah blah.
I know him/her blah blah blah.
My son had wine with blah blah blah.
I have more speakers in my ceiling than blah blah blah.
I am the best, blah blah blah.
BLAH, BLAH BLAH.
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In my opinion Idaho is a place that you have to be judicious in the selection of whatever you purchase. It’s a mostly undeveloped, fiercely independent, fantastically beautiful state with multiple geographical regions, all beautiful in their own right. That said, it’s not the shopping capital of the world, unless you cherish farm equipment co-ops, fly fishing, hunting, and outdoor gear stores as much as I do.
The audio world is booming across the world. Fantastic gear coming out of Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Norway, Japan, the US, Germany, and innovative Pi and other lightweight OS devices from India, etc … Audio Shows are one of the only places where we have been been able to see the breadth of what is available. It’s a shame that we still can’t enjoy them. Maybe we should go to a show in France? Their vaccination rate is 75% vs the US at 58%.
@paul, if you go I will carry your bags.
… you see how I brought the thread back to Speakers? Less grump, more music.
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Jealous at Steven living in London or proud living in Idaho?
Rudolf, I know you like him, but surely you can see the main thrust of Palouse’ post. ‘PS Audio loudspeaker thread’! I, and several others, share the pain. Who gives a toss about the 160kg weight of his bath, a stone bath, unbranded, at a cost of only thruppence whereas the same bath with a label attached costs £6000. (he expertly switches back and forth between pounds sterling £ / U.S. dollars $) WOW… It seems a great deal, that’s until you factor in you have to provide food and lodgings for the four Romanian bath carriers that lug the (now switching from metric to imperial for the American contingent) 352.74 pounds in weight bath up the stairs. What about the water, surely it can’t be water straight from the tap…! I would wager a guess - he buys his water in litre bottles (that’s 1.76 pints for America), unbranded water, direct from a secret source fjord in Patagonia Chile…! Then there’s the type and the cost (£ / $) rose petals… Get my drift, Rudolf. He’s unconscionably excessive, the bulk of his pomposity - unnecessary, an intolerable bore. Why does he have to constantly bludgeon us with innate drivel, and the monetary COST, of said innate drivel. Obviously, I’ve held back and refrained from expressing in full, my true feelings!!!
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Dirk, you forget that Steven’s a true globetrotter and we should all be very jealous. I think that when he took the photo in the carpark at Selfridges he had to hold back telling us that it was with an iPhone 14 that just happened to slip his way.
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I do understand that sentiment.
But am not so bothered by it. Perhaps because I understand that my posts are not perfect either.
I do appreciate all the information being posted.
For example I did not know that:
Admittedly that has not much to do with the FR30, but explains why a lot of vinyl enthusiasts can not buy SME tonearms anymore, as under Mr. Shirke‘s administration of SME they Must have taken the arrogant decision to not allow vinyl enthusiasts to update their decks with the world famous and beautifully crafted SME tonearms anymore. Perhaps Steven can talk to him and explain how the dealers I visit, many other vinyl enthusiasts and myself think about that.
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I agree that the decision not to sell SME arms was a body blow to the vinyl community.
He also bought Garrard and Loricraft (via SME because SME had the manufacturing capability) from Terry O’Sullivan. Terry is a fantastic bloke, I bought there Loricraft PRC4. Loricraft are now updated and there are new Garrard products, at increased prices.
The good news is you can get a new Garrard 301 with a new classic SME M2-12R tonearm fitted, but it will cost you a fortune - $23,500. The better news is a good restored one will cost around $5,000 and there are plenty available.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-204-new-garrard-301-page-2
https://garrardturntables.co.uk
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Is it ok to buy the speakers with intention to return?
Hypothetical:
Let say I have only $25k and we agreed that in home demo is the best way. I have 3 potential competing brand that I’m considering. I don’t know, Zu upcoming Definition 6, and Legacy Audio Aris and PS Audio FR30. I can only afford one set at a time, this means I will have to buy, listen, return, get refund to buy another set. To eventually decide on the one that meets my preference and place the final order for that one.
So question to Paul is:
Is it ok to buy the speakers with intention to return?
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I would think so as long as you are seriously comparing competing products and will be buying a pair once you make a decision - which is what your hypothetical describes.
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Not trying to jump the gun here but just thought I’d share my recent experience of direct sales model in home trial from Buchardt.
I bought online, by default they give you 45 days to return the product, no questions asked other than it has to be in original packaging, they cover all the returns cost and the courier comes to your house to collect.
But that 45 days is absolutely there as a trial phase for home auditioning, there is full appreciation that you may well send it back. The do charge a 50 Euro return fee which comes off the refund.
Buchardt Audio Products - Try at home for 45 days
But totally appreciate this may well differ from PSAudios home trial method, especially given the fact these speakers are 35 times the cost 
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Of course, it got to be an honest reason. I think 30 days is not enough for speakers demo considering the time it takes to unpack and repack the speaker for return. 60 days like Zu offering is more appropriate. So let say the process takes 3 months for each trial, it will be a full year endeavor, a journey worth taking in my opinion, that $25k went a long way at the end knowing your decision is based on actual experience between competing options. You will at the end be very happy with the decision, not have doubt is a big deal.
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Well that price level is certainly more than what it used to be. It used to be better deals: buy a second hand Thorens TD125, mount a SME 309 on it and you would be in vinylvarna for reasonable money.
Ok, Saturday shopping in Utrecht the Netherlands, have seen 3 high end retailers.
Just fantastic that they are around. One was a premium reseller of Boenicke. You just need to see the speakers to appreciate how jawdropping gorgeous and yet compact they are.
Utrecht is worthwhile a visit.
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Fun way to spend a day, right?
Top-20 major metro areas in the US will typically have 3-5 high end dealerships, and can possibly visit them all in a day, or a weekend.
Listen to perhaps 15-20 setups/combinations. Most people are within driving distance, with 10-15% exceptions.
Highly recommended. Get to know the “house sounds” of all the brands. Amazing how quickly you can zero in on what sonic signature you prefer and it doesn’t take long. Helps narrow the search….
When get serious can typically take for home demo if that of interest. You’ll have to provide a credit card but it won’t be charged (no initial cash outlay). The piece will typically already be broken in so you’ll know exactly how it’ll sound “in your room” immediately on install (rather than waiting hundreds of hours for break-in).
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Absolutely.
As I have said, the only way to really know if they’re going to work is to take them home.
I would hope you would take them home in the HOPES they will work because that’s a lot of effort expended to prove they don’t.
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Yep… I unboxed my Krell FPB-600c amp by myself, and put it in my rack (on the bottom shelf) by myself. In the box, it outweighs me by 18 pounds… 
That said, next time I move it, I may have a buddy over to help.
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I posted this in the other FR-30 thread but it deserves to be here too.
Here’s a nice quote from D’Agostino. Pay attention to the last line.
“Our current designs have absolutely nothing in common with what I did at Krell. When I left that company, I wanted to do something in the completely opposite direction. I’m glad in a way that I was asked to leave, because [the move] provided me with the platform that I could use to do the designs I do today. I think that at Krell we got involved in a numbers game: We can do this better because it measures better, and it does this better. It was more about technology than listening.
But at D’Agostino, we listen a lot.
Listening is the most important thing, not how it measures.”
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Undoubtedly they can offer a digital download as Octave Records does. I wouldn’t get bent out of shape over the lack of a CD player.
As a point of reference concerning return charges on 30 day in home speaker trial Underwood charges $600.00 to return a set of ~$3000.00 speakers ($2700.00 without the option, $3300.00 if returned) in their current sales flyer.