I agree that the room is very important... even if not officially "acoustically treated" and just couch and rug. And, the important thing is to match the speakers w the room, which is a situation I'm struggling w right now; the speakers I "really" want do not go well in the room setup that I have, so I have to wait and get smaller speakers that work. These facts do lead to the importance of being able to hear the gear in your room, with return privileges.
Luckily, there are numerous online retailers that are fine w accepting returns 30 or 60 days in... that should be enough to assess. I mean, don't abuse the privilege, but it's a nice "insurance policy" against an instantly regrettable decision.
It's not just Hi Fi... with the demise of BM stores, it's hard to know if what you're looking at is going to "work" or not. I'm going crazy about this right now w bathroom vanities; I have a project that needs to be done once and right, but I cannot find any BM anywhere near me that actually carry the products, and it's hard to ultimately judge until they arrive and can see them in their intended place (even if not fully installed). I've already sent one back; couldn't even find the proper measurements of the product... it was gorgeous and high quality, but didn't work in the space, functionally... so it was returned. What a hassle!
Likewise w Hi Fi... it's gotta work IN YOUR SPACE.