I don't understand why you feel ripped off by the above example though. As far as I know, there are ALWAYS iPhones or iPod Touch demo units to try in all Apple Stores. They're so prevalent that you're quite likely to find sample units in smaller unauthorized shops too (the owner or sales person's own iphone/touch for example)... and I've never seen any ads that advertise the awesome speaker capabilities of iphone/touch.... and if this is such an important requirement for you, I'm sure you'd seek it out in reviews or test it yourself before making the purchase. I just gotta say though, don't expect much from ANY build-in speakers that are attached to handphones, pmp or netbooks.

ps: I must say the speaker on 3GS unit sound so much better than the 2G or 3G one.