Buying Without Audition

In Atlanta here. If you like I would be glad to have you over to listen to some Zu Def 4s if you happen to be in town for business. 

Thank you so much for the offer. I'm not sure when I'll be down there again but I may contact you when I think I may be traveling your way.

Buying without audition is not a smart thing to do. As far as using reviews by anyone its good for guidelines but usually the reviewer gets paid by the products they review. So take reviews with a grain of salt. Everyones  sonic preferences are unique to themselves so what sounds good to you may not sound so good to someone else. Always audition and if it does not please you move on.

I agree, gillatgh, but the OP isn't near any dealers, so he has to rely on reviews. But, I agree, some reviewers are not entirely forthcoming of their relationship with the item being reviewed. But, thanks to the internet, one can get a fairly good idea of the characteristics for a given component.

I am new to this hobby. Last year when I was looking for speakers I looked through the reviews and scanned the AUDIOGON, USAM, Ebay. One pair of speakers caught my eye made by an speaker manufacturer that has a very low profile, Source Speaker Technologies. There was not much information available on the speaker I was looking at and their website left a lot to be desired. However the seller was a retired hi end audio dealer. He was very persuasive in describing how great these speakers are. They were almost new and selling for $2200 against a new cost of almost $9k. I bought these unheard. I could have been ripped off but in my beginners good fortune I totally lucked out. These speakers are awesome. I went to AXPONA this year and listened to a hundred great speakers and when I got home and cranked up my system I realized that my speakers sound as good as many great ones I listen to at that show.
However if I buy another pair I would never purchase without hearing them first. I can;t count on my good luck striking twice.

Theo1124, you are very fortunate to have found a speaker matching your needs sight unseen. Perhaps having an honest dealer to help you make your decision is also a plus.Larstusor, if you could give us a rough location, maybe we could direct you to a dealer that could help you.
Bob

2 1/2 hours North of Atlanta, GA;
2 1/2 hours East of Chattanooga, TN;
2 1/2 hours West of Asheville, NC.

Well, you're not in the boonies.
I am pretty sure Atlanta has a few good shops that would make it a day trip.
Come on guys, let's give larstusor some help.

Hi, I am not a shill, troll, only wish to share my experience, I would recommend calling Walter at underwood hifi, Bought from him last fall, there was a problem down the road with the piece of gear  I purchased, his customer service was beyond A+. I am pretty sure
he offers home audition on almost all of his product lines. He also owns Emerald Physics Speakers. Good luck with your quest! 

I'm late to the discussion here but wanted to chime in to say, yes, you can buy without audition. I have bought probably 10 pairs of speakers that way. I always make sure I narrow down a list of a few I am interested in after reading reviews and/or the many audio forums out there. I make sure I buy them with the original boxes, packing and manuals and with patience, at a good price. If I find the speakers aren't my cup of tea, I resell them usually for around the price I paid. I have gone through many sets of speaker brands that way. I know this won't work for everyone, but for me, I've had no problems.

Well, the last two posts show you two different ways to pursue you goal.
You can either find a dealer in a large city and make time to audition all the speakers you think you will like, or, you can take a 'best guess' at the sound you like, based on reviews. Should the speakers not turn out to be your 'cuppa', just sell them and keep trying.
IMHO, if you are new to hifi/audiophile stereo, I would make an effort to find dealers close to you. Spend time and listen. When you get a sense of what you like, then you can make a more informed decision on speakers you have yet to hear. 

I did this in my 20's, and it is something I can honestly say still carries into today. I know what I like and why I like it.
Once you have that information, then you can make educated decisions.

I don't mean to be didactic, but only want you to gain a skill set, before buying speakers based on others reviews. In my opinion, it will save you a lot of time, money, and disappointment. Also, you will get to meet other people who love and enjoy listening to music.
All the Best
Bob

I don't mean to be didactic, but only want you to gain a skill set, before buying speakers based on others reviews.

I'm not a newbie and have been playing around with hi-fi equipment for over 45 years.  The nearest "big city" is Atlanta which used to have several high end gear shops. With the advent of the big box stores and mp3 music, the small shops have gone by the way side.  I made the trip down there and found a very limited range of speakers to audition.  Many of the brands one reads about on this forum and others are not represented by any dealer in the area.  Hence the dilemma.

,,just listen to me......Vandersteen speakers.  Every one in their price point is excellent for their category.  Call John at Audio Connection in New Jersey, and they'll guide you properly (a very large store with lots of brands, up to date knowledge, and they care)

Larstusor, thanks for the clarification, if you do know what 'sound' you like, then you are half way there. In that case, I think it would be okay to buy speakers that you have read about and think you may like. As others have said, reviews must be take with a grain of salt. But, with 45 years of experience, I think you will be okay.

Maybe you should start another thread.
List the characteristics you are looking for in a speaker, the music you listen to, and the kind of room you listen in. I am sure there will be many suggestions that you can then investigate in detail. 

Stringreen, +1 for the Vandys. They have been my Grail speaker for decades. Also, a very +1, for Johnny R at audio connection (a Agon member), he wouldn't steer anyone wrong.

Purchased without auditioning:

Magnepan MMG and MMG Bass panel (new)
Magnepan 3A
Counterpoint Clearfield Metropolitans
Von Schweikert VR2 and VR4
Magnepan 1.7
Thiel CS2.3
Thiel CS3.5

Quite simply put the direct to consumer offer for the MMG's at $599 was too enticing to pass up. $599 with a one year trade up policy?  I took the risk and...thus the 1.7's later on. I love Magnepan.  

My curiosity with Von Schweikert compelled me to buy the Metropolitans which, compared to the 1.7's were huge - and heavy, though way more efficient. The size of refrigerators - and not a college dorm refrigerator.  Compared to the Maggies they struck me as reserved. Got weary of moving them, or trying to.  Good in their own right. 

I'll spare everyone the IMHO details on the others mentioned but in general it was my curiousity that guided me. And my budgets which swing throughout the years. I've stuck since with Maggie and Thiel.  I've never regretted any purchase, each model had/has its own virtues with my associated gear, Pass Labs, McIntosh, Primare, Audio Research...too many to list here. 

Recently I bought a pair of Maggie .7's AFTER auditioning the new 1.7i's - and I'm adding a Rythymik L12 sub to complement them. I still have my Thiel CS3.5's. 

Yes,. I'm nuts. Ain't we all?

Oblgny, I would love to hear your impressions of those other speakers-Non Maggies. Perhaps a PM to me?

Discretion being the better part of valor, rather than delve into the unknown I decided to have my KEF 105/3 Reference Series speakers (circa 1990) serviced.  The foam surrounds and donuts for the four woofers have been replaced; the crossovers have been recapped; and a bad connection to one of the tweeters has been repaired.  The repair tech says they now sound great. I remember how good these speakers used to sound and I hope when I get them back home (soon) I will be well satisfied and not continue to fall prey to "Speaker Acquisition Syndrome" which affects so many of us.

Larstusor, that is a good way to start. I think having a speaker that you know and love, makes for an easier way to consider other loudspeakers that you do not have access to audition-when the SAS bites.
All the Best- Bob

" If you buy speakers that have a VERY flat frequency response, good quality drivers, good cross over design in a nice cabinet, you can get away without an audition. Mine are 34 - 20k hz +/- 1.5 db and 29 - 45k +/- 3 db. -- VolsFan846

Agreed! Toole's research has shown this to be true with most people and it certainly is for me. I look at the FR at 0°, 15°, 30° and waterfalls mostly. Polars and distortion graphs are good too ... when you can find them. Haven't been disappointed with this approach yet. I totally ignore subjective reviews and the latest forum-hyped speakers. I've been around long enough to see many forum darlings quickly lose their appeal after the herd anticipation wears off.

However, for HT speakers, accuracy isn't as important to me. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted there. I almost got caught up on the "dynamics" train, but realized I'm not an SPL guy, and what I like is spaciousness and detail ... like a twig snapping three feet outside and two feet behind the left speaker ... the point being, I wanted to be encapsulated by sound like in the real world, so soundstage became more important. Fortunately I heard just the speakers that could do that in someone's home. I don't yet know how to pick this quality out on a graph. Maybe it can be done, I just don't know how.

I’m getting ready to order speakers from a liquidator(on the 15th.) ,unheard,using the same build parameters as VolsFan846(Go Gators!).Following these, along with a few additions, led me to speakers that reviewer after reviewer from around the world described as having the "sound"I wanted.
 It's funny but after studying review after review + several more,all extolling the same virtues across the listening spectrum you covet,a decision not only becomes easy but worry & doubt are suddenly replaced with relief,desire & anticipation.
 We’ll see if subjective reviews,specs & measurements,along with the 4 build parameters mentioned above can equal sonic happiness.I am VERY optimistic about my chances of building a musically satisfying system & hope to have a successful update in a few weeks.

Larstusor: I think Thiels are what you want based on your input and your description. And I mean Jim Thiel era models.

OP did you ever get to go demo speakers or make a decision?