Jimna, I wish the price tags were visible in the pictures for each speaker and piece of gear. Since you heard them, do these rigs REALLY sound THAT much better to justify what most of them must cost and given the size? Admittedly, I am assuming that these products most likely cost an arm and a leg. If my assumtion is correct, I would not likely ever buy most of this gear because of the law of diminishig returns and because (to me) most of the speakers are much too obnoxiously intrusive for any normal room. In fact, I can't imagine any woman that I know (especially my wife) putting up with (let alone agreeing to) purchasing such gear given the cost and size (especially the speakers) of the equipment. Therefore, I use pictures like this to recalibrate the WAF variable (i.e. to show my wife that my system is extremely tame compared to what some other people do)!

With that said, I really would like to go to a show like that where every company has their own room just so I can oogle the gear for comedic, entertainment, and/or design appreciation value (in that order), if nothing else. Are there any in the New York area where hobbiest/lookiloos like me are welcome?

Does anyone have a guess as to what the average income is of people that buy this type of gear? My guess is that passion, rather than wealth, plays the largest role in the decision making process; and thus I assume that a sizeable number of the people that own this type of gear have more money in such gear than their house. Additionally, given my view that most women would not tollerate this type of gear, I also assume that most of the purchasers of this type of gear are bachelors when they make the purchases which are then "grandfathered" in or sold (depending on the fiance acceptance factor) when they get married.

I am curious as to the Outlaws' thoughts on these views--and I fully admit that my views are based on broad generalizations and stereotypes with absolutely no first hand knowledge to back any of it up (other than having married a woman that I know would never agree to buy or keep such gear).

Ed.