I may often buy "sound unseen". But it is purely the long term evaluation that I use to judge a products sound. Often mixing it with other equipment and setups to give it the best opportunity to shine. The only thing that keeps it in the lineup is it's sound quality.
What do "audiophiles" use to judge equipment?
The hypothesis: "Audiophiles" are mostly techno-cats who listen with their eyes - they read reviews and look at spec sheets... END. That is my opinion and I'd like to hear from music lovers who do NOT look at the specs; who do not get their info from forums like this - where you cannot HEAR the music but you can READ about the music - well, maybe a few of you can read music, right? Are there any others who trust their own ears and go into a music store and BUY something without the psychological hand-holding of a forum or spec sheet?