Would you buy speakers with out first listening ?


I've never owned a pair of speakers that I have not listened to before hand...do you guys trust and buy on opinion? If so, have you experienced any great "let down".

Dave
sogood51

Showing 1 response by larryi

Absolutely NOT. I have heard so many very expensive pairs of speakers that I could never live with for any length of time. I realize that it is not practical to expect a home audition, but one can tell quite a lot from hearing a speaker that is set up well in a showroom that one is familiar. If I buy from a dealer, I expect the dealer to help with set up, finding a suitable amp and tweaking.

Currently, very few commercial designs interest me. But, I've heard a number of custom designed systems that sound very good. If I do change my speakers, something I don't expect to do for a long time, I will go that route. That necessarily involves close interaction with the designer and listening to different options, etc.

My next interim upgrade will probably be an active crossover. I know a builder/designer who I can work with towards getting a complex active system to work correctly.