Thanks for the history, b_limo. I was curious just because I imagined that it would not be so difficult (50 pairs) to arrive at a speaker one likes enough to settle down. But if it’s fun, well, that’s what hobbies are for!
As for myself, I’m genuinely curious about people’s processes — not just to instruct me, though there there is that aspect, but also because I’m learning about the hobby by learning about the hobbyists.
Regarding my own situation, I have *not* decided whether I will or won’t like the Salks. Why wouldn’t I just want to wait? Because they are close to $4k and I only have a month to decide.
And decide based on what? My personality needs and wants to compare. I think I will learn by at least trying a few of the other kinds of speakers (towers, with Amt tweeters, electrostatic or planar). If I learn, say, that I really like passive towers, then I can think within that category. Or electrostatic, etc.
Ultimately, this won’t go on for months; I’m not going to listen to a dozen speakers at my home; I can’t. But I can do more than simply wait for another good bookshelf to try if I can try others for little or no money before I have to send back the Salks.
The other way would be to buy, live with, get curious or dissatisfied, sell, shop, buy again. There's a lot of effort and time in that sequence, and so I am merely trying to save effort and advance the process a bit in the initial phase. Will I wind up with my "final" speaker? Probably not. But if I can learn processes from hobbyists and get speakers to try from shops, I can at least get something I’ll have for several years or more.
And will it be fun? In a time of lockdown and with very little cost to me -- you bet.
