Back in my "civilian" days, I bought speakers without listening to them first on several occasions, generally with good results.
If you count all my DIY projects (which I had to pay for before hearing), then that would add another fifty or so. Results here were mixed - most of my own designs sucked.
I would say the key to buying speakers unheard is to first know yourself - know what you like and what you don't like a loudspeaker to do, and know what you're willing to compromise if you have to. Second, it helps to understand speaker design to the point where you can make a reasonable assessment of what a given design will and will not do based on objective data - especially as it relates to your priorities (what you like & don't like). Finally, you can give credance to rave reviews, but I have found this to be an unreliable predictor of whether or not I will fall in love with a given loudspeaker.
Duke
"Science is not a democracy" - Earl Geddes
If you count all my DIY projects (which I had to pay for before hearing), then that would add another fifty or so. Results here were mixed - most of my own designs sucked.
I would say the key to buying speakers unheard is to first know yourself - know what you like and what you don't like a loudspeaker to do, and know what you're willing to compromise if you have to. Second, it helps to understand speaker design to the point where you can make a reasonable assessment of what a given design will and will not do based on objective data - especially as it relates to your priorities (what you like & don't like). Finally, you can give credance to rave reviews, but I have found this to be an unreliable predictor of whether or not I will fall in love with a given loudspeaker.
Duke
"Science is not a democracy" - Earl Geddes