oldaudiophile, this is what audio shows are for now. Even in the old days the speakers I like would rarely if ever be on display. After 50 years of doing this I know what I want in terms of speakers and electronics. The only risk taking is with cartridges which are inexpensive enough so that if I make a mistake it is not too painful. Speakers are the hard part where auditioning is important if you have not learned what you like and why. I now have Sound Labs speakers which I chose purely on the analysis of the design. I never heard them before I set up mine. But, I have been a diehard ESL person for decades. I got exactly what I was expecting and looking for.
Even if a store is not in your neighborhood you can still have an excellent relationship with it. I have two shops on opposite ends of the country I deal with on a first name basis and both take care of me when I order equipment.
Another interesting point is that from a tonal perspective you can make a speaker sound any way you want with Digital Signal Processing. You might even be able to make them image. Some will never image by design.