On any equipment I buy, which is pretty much everything I buy, I do exhaustive research on manufacturer history and reputation if I am not already familiar with them. I pour over all the reviews I can find with emphasis on actual user reviews first, and hobbyist publications second. While I do look at the specs, they are a very minor part of my evaluation, and I completely ignore reviews that use bench lab gear to pick apart specifications. Especially where speakers are concerned, I look for user reviews from users who like the type of music I like. Glowing reviews about how great classical music sounds don’t do me any good because I don’t listen to classical music.
