Choosing all your electronics by the same company can be an easy way to insure synergy. Mixing and matching can be more difficult.
It can be very difficult to get a real feel for a piece at a dealer. Some dealers are much better than others. But if you are auditioning a preamp, how much are the different speakers or the different front end affecting the sound? Not to mention setup. Some dealers are more concerned with system setup than others. Auditioning pieces between multiple dealers is even more difficult. You will never trully know how something sounds untill you hear it in your room with your speakers.
I would listen to an all ARC, all MAC and all BAT system with as similar speakers as possible. Keep in mind that speakers can have a huge impact on the sound. Choose the house sound that you like best and work from there.
I know that for me, my system continues to amaze me every day.
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