Would you buy a pair of speakers by just looking at the measured freq. response?

@deKay - LMAO

@yoyoyaya - Love the handle!

@OP - Look at your speakers as a musical instrument. They will sound different in every environment. Most houses are not built for good sound reproduction from our systems. You have to tailor a system for each room.

I LOVE my Dynaudio’s. The same exact setup sounds amazing in one room in the house…. But… when I take the same system and put that in my bedroom it sounds awful. 

So, point is that stats don’t mean all that much. Speakers, like instruments, are personal preference and no amount of statistics should sway you away from your ears.

Just like a guitarist seeks ‘their sound’ (or voicing) you will do the same thing with you speakers.

Most of this I am sure you already know as I am not revealing any great secret knowledge as this has all been repeated ad nauseam.   

My ears are the only measurement I need. 

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. 

Your personal ears and what sounds best to them will always be the only thing that matters in the end. If everybody had an identical set of ears and taste of what sounds good to them, measurements would be meaningful. Obviously that will never be the case. I used measurements to build my house of stereo, not to pick my equipment.

At the factory, frequency response is measured at very low volume level at a constant signal with the microphone placed in the optimum location. (+/- Xdb @ 1 watt, 1 meter).  It shows nothing of the character of the speaker when things really get going.

I'd be kinda like buying a car based on measured sound levels with a mic positioned at center console position going 30 mph on a pefectly flat surface.  Not much of an indicator of whether or not it has the potential to create a possible medical emergency for passengers over 70 when you stomp on the "gas", or try to impress seasoned auto-crossers during cornering, or test the effectiveness of shoulder harnesses when you lock up the brakes.   Or, whether it just gets you from Point A to Point B as quietly and comfortably as possible. 

You gotta listen to 'em.