Is it possible to really know what you're doing?

I would say that the first step is for a person to determine what type of speakers they prefer. That is, not brand or model; but rather speaker architecture. 

Is it open baffle? Planar? Stand-mount with subs? Active or passive? One of these will likely agree with a given room better than others.

If one finds ported enclosures unworthy of consideration, they are in luck for they can now safely ignore 90% of speakers on earth. Why are 90% of speakers ported? Because glueing one foot of ABS pipe into a 2" hole in the cabinet is a heck of a lot cheaper than a second woofer.

Once one is settled on a speaker type, they are free to narrow it down further to make / model.

Then, to find amps that makes their new speakers smile and sing! This step is perhaps the most crucial. Many people think it's easy, but it's not.

Then, to locate an excellent preamp; or, at least, one good enough to make their sources shine.

@pindac often speaks of the End Sound in his thoughtful posts, and that is a very good concept indeed because the end sound is not determined by any single component, but rather by the entire system coming together as one in a holistic way.

@knotscott That's a great idea in your post about developing a taste for what you like.   If you're a classical music fan, attend a performance of an orchestra, or if you like string quartets, attend a performance.  Likewise if you like Jazz, go to a jazz club (you get the idea). 

Whether you like something or hate something at least you'll have a preference and that's probably a good place to start when you audition speakers.  You'll be disappointed by all of them in some way but as you keep listening, you'll figure it out.

I hope I do not get long winded, as I would like to keep this short, but of my experience. I just want to say, I am happy to be part of this community, because it allows us all, with the sharing of a common interest. Even with the back-and-forth disagreements that are too prevalent here, it shows a human side of us, the goal to listen and enjoy music, and sound, with whatever your means are to get there. My childhood was listening to my dad’s big band, swing, Sinatra, B.Holiday, Sergio Mendez, and more, you get the idea. His system was a pair of AR2AX loudspeakers, a Fisher 500C, and a Dual 1219 / Shure V15 something, and he never listened to the tuner. The speakers, based on my mom’s decor, required 50 ft runs of speaker cable from the amp. Very nice overall, but I heard (not my dad) the 500C output stage not fulfilling the necessary job at hand (this was before I was 10). I was a singing contributor of school choirs until HS graduation. I was also involved in the gear part. I was grateful I had an ear for listening. This led me to the encouragement I gave my dad to replace the Fisher with a Sansui 8 Deluxe, based on my readings and research. The Fisher became mine, and I purchased/owned a pair of Klipsch Cornwall, the mirror imaged verticals, from my music teacher, who upgraded to Khorns. The Sansui GAVE LIFE to the 2AXs, that even Melvin, my dad, experienced, and so much appreciated. I suspected then that I was a solid- state guy, although I had several tube pieces, amp and pre, come in and out of my system, throughout the years. Many consulting jobs of mine were working alongside a decorator, and I needed to change some perspectives of mine. Many of these systems were set up where the speakers were never intended to be listened to from a sweet spot. However, I still needed to find out from the clients, what they were looking (listening) for. BTW, in the background, listening to Nothing Else Matters through FM 95.7 THE HOG, out of Daytona, as it sounds awesome............ I have stated this many times: if every recording "sounded" as good as your favorite "best sounding", the jumping from one piece to another would be easier, and lesser, imo. Two of my favorite amps, as they are both great, do different things from each other with the same recordings in my system. And, they also have similarities. I enjoy them both but am at a point I find it hard to lift them. Anyway, everything we do with changes/upgrades is to enjoy the music, the sound, or both. Recordings do not equal the sound of live unamplified music, but the "musicianship" and the "composition" are present in full bloom. We can still get a great deal of information off of our recordings, in the manor of which we decide, and enjoy for a few different reasons. You need to know what "listening characteristics" are important to you (the real point of all of this gab). I do not believe there is a single system we can all enjoy equally (live with), based on our tastes. Well, with unlimited funds and a room built for the job....maybe. My best, MrD.

The world of high-fidelity audio is like an ocean — beautiful, vast, and deceptively mysterious. On the surface, it might seem as simple as riding the waves: just plug in a few components and enjoy the music. But the water runs deep — diving in requires not only a wealth of knowledge but also a touch of fortune. And the deeper you go, the more you realize just how layered and complex it truly is especially in the following areas:

• Technical depth: Understanding gear specifications, DAC chip design, amplifier topologies, room acoustics, jitter, phase coherence, etc., demands a strong foundation in electronics, physics and, most relevantly, psychoacoustics.
• Subjective variability: What sounds “right” is often personal and system-dependent, requiring critical listening skills, patience, and trial and error.
• Tuning and synergy: The journey isn’t just about owning high-end gear.  It’s about components matching (could be a matter of luck), placement fine-tuning, vibration control, power supplies, cables, and even music formats.

In the world of music reproduction, you don’t just listen — you learn, test, tweak, and invest. The audio hobby is as rewarding as it is demanding. Like diving into deep water, it’s not something to approach unprepared. It requires a blend of curiosity, patience, critical thinking, and yes a measure of financial flexibility to navigate meaningfully. And no matter how deep you go, you'll never quite reach the bottom.

And no matter how deep you go, you’ll never quite reach the bottom.

Oh, many folks do! And then they keep digging.

@lanx0003 Playful sarcasm aside, your post is right on point.