Almost everything I have ever bought, I had never heard before (exception is a pair of headphones, which have since been replaced). There just are no options to trial listenings, and it is pointless mostly because of room interaction and synergy with other components. Plus dealers are unwilling to set up A/B comparison demos, plus typically do not have the items I may be interested in comparing. Another exercise in futility.
Additionally, it is impossible to know of what the sonic possibilities are, particularly in conjunction with one's personal preferences. Add to that the great variation in recording styles and the ideal becomes an illusion.
I have purchased everything based on reviews and interactions with manufacturers, and am happy with it. Could it get better? Possibly yes, possibly no. For instance, I purchased a $5K Holoaudio May L2 DAC [based on GoldenSound review, which I trust as he dismantled MQA], but compared to a $200 Topping D50III, there is no clear winner across multiple recordings and styles of music. I keep the Holo on the main system, the Topping on my computer desktop system mainly because of form factor.