Don't you live in or near Manhattan? There are no audio stores there? What about the Stereo Exchange, Park Avenue Audio, B&H, Adorama, In Living Stereo, the Harman Store, Lyric Hi-Fi, not to mention several Best Buy locations? I agree there are fewer choices these days, but it would appear that people like you and I still have some places to go when we're in the market for stereo/av equipment.
Very few, and what is being sold is for computers and TV systems. B&H has stereo equipment, but not a big selection any more. Best Buy doesn't have anything that's not computer or TV related. I will have to check out the others you mentioned.