Kudos to Audiokinesis for some of the best practical advice I've seen posted here on the topic of selecting speakers. I was delighted to read his "tests" because they are very similar to the procedures I've worked out in my own experience for evaluating equipment.
But Natalie also has an important point about room effects. I have good but not super-ultra speakers (JMLabs Mezzo Utopias). Your prelate cannot actually afford such nice reproducers but got one of those friend-of-a-friend deals that made it possible for him to acquire them.
Anyway, whilst I was converting the garage to a suitable listening room, I installed them in a 14x17x12 (sloped ceiling) room where they sounded....good. "Oh well," I thought. "At least they'll have great snob appeal and I can use them for a trade-in on something better." When the new room was done, I moved them in. HOLY COW! A totally different experience. In the new space (18x22x9 with some rudimentary room treatments), they simply exploded with delicious sound. My friends and I were so completely flabbergasted that we actually moved them back and forth twice just to confirm the difference for ourselves.
Now, I got my M/Us for less than 30% of MSRP, NIB. Yes, miracles happen. At that price, had I been buying from a dealer, I would not have expected him to go to enormous trouble to ship them in and set them up in my listening space. However, after this experience, if I were paying list--and certainly if I were considering speakers in the $50K+ range, you bet your booties I would insist on hearing them in my own room.
Tell the dealer you'll pay shipping (both ways, if you don't buy) and ample insurance. If he won't agree to that, shop elsewhere.
will
But Natalie also has an important point about room effects. I have good but not super-ultra speakers (JMLabs Mezzo Utopias). Your prelate cannot actually afford such nice reproducers but got one of those friend-of-a-friend deals that made it possible for him to acquire them.
Anyway, whilst I was converting the garage to a suitable listening room, I installed them in a 14x17x12 (sloped ceiling) room where they sounded....good. "Oh well," I thought. "At least they'll have great snob appeal and I can use them for a trade-in on something better." When the new room was done, I moved them in. HOLY COW! A totally different experience. In the new space (18x22x9 with some rudimentary room treatments), they simply exploded with delicious sound. My friends and I were so completely flabbergasted that we actually moved them back and forth twice just to confirm the difference for ourselves.
Now, I got my M/Us for less than 30% of MSRP, NIB. Yes, miracles happen. At that price, had I been buying from a dealer, I would not have expected him to go to enormous trouble to ship them in and set them up in my listening space. However, after this experience, if I were paying list--and certainly if I were considering speakers in the $50K+ range, you bet your booties I would insist on hearing them in my own room.
Tell the dealer you'll pay shipping (both ways, if you don't buy) and ample insurance. If he won't agree to that, shop elsewhere.
will