It's my opinion that you have never heard speakers even if you audition them. Every other factor is different. The room you listen in, your amp/preamp or integrated, your cd player, your turntable, your cartridge, your speaker cables, your interconnects are all different and in some case where people have small odd shaped rooms with windows, doors and furniture in them, very, very different. I find buying audio equipment one of the most difficult things I have ever tried to do. I think that if your research finds a consensus of people liking a component, that's as good as you can get.
