OK
Here is an answer you may not have expected:
After reading this thread, it occurs to me that I may have NEVER listened to ANY of the speakers I have owned since my first real pair of speakers in 1978.
(I did audition my very first pair of Magneplanar MG1-Bs circa 1978, age 14.)
Later, I upgraded to MG-IIbs, and then MG IIIa's, neither of which I heard because they were both special order items from my dealers who did not have them on display.
After the Magnepans, I switched to a pair of Apogee stage speakers that I heard very briefly at a dealer, HOWEVER, this was in a completely different room, with completely different equipment AND with the Apogee woofers which I was not buying. So I certainly didnt hear the speakers as I ordered them. I actually liked them MUCH better at home, AFTER I bought them.
I heard Martin Logan CLS speakers very briefly, but never listened to the SL-3s that I eventually ordered and enjoyed for a few years.
My Magneplanar Tympani IVas were purchased sight unseen from a collector in Canada and shipped directly to Magnepan. Had never heard a pair of Tympanis before but always wanted them.
I bought a pair of Epos speakers over the web because they were on sale and I read several different good reviews about the warmth of their midrange. I love them.
And finally, I just bought a 5.1 set of Infinity TSS 750 speakers with nothing but a sealed box.
Even if they were set up at Circuit City, I dont think the "demo" would have done me much good.
So I am having a bit of a Eureka moment here, which - no offense to you dealers - is making me think that this whole high service, dealer showroom demo stuff is about as helpful as a "full service" stockbroker is to your portfolio. If you know anything about Wall Street, you probably dont take advice or see your broker as ubiased or impartial any more.
Ojgalli
I agree that one should never trust a single review.
But what I have found over the years of this hobby is that if you really do your homework, and you are familiar with this stuff, and you read several reviews and talk to several people and read audiogon etc., you can glean a pretty good impression of how components really sound and fill in any blanks with years of audiophile experience.
In the end, therefore, this leaves me with the paradoxical conclusion that NOT listening (although RESEARCHING) may give you as much useful information through an imaginary "demo" than you will get by sitting in someone else's room, listening to different associated components etc. while being brainwashed by whoever is peddling the gear.
Of course, there are wonderful dealers who succeed in cultivating loyal, long term repeat business relationships who may let you borrow a piece of gear for a couple of days etc, and obviously that is very useful and informative.
But otherwise - I am realizing -- wow - that I have rarely ever listened to ANYTHING before buying it. And yet, I have been able to guess the sounds of things pretty well, and put together coherent systems.
Actually I have spent hours and hours and hours tinkering around hi fi showrooms and having a demo here or there. But this never entirced me into buying anything.
Here is an answer you may not have expected:
After reading this thread, it occurs to me that I may have NEVER listened to ANY of the speakers I have owned since my first real pair of speakers in 1978.
(I did audition my very first pair of Magneplanar MG1-Bs circa 1978, age 14.)
Later, I upgraded to MG-IIbs, and then MG IIIa's, neither of which I heard because they were both special order items from my dealers who did not have them on display.
After the Magnepans, I switched to a pair of Apogee stage speakers that I heard very briefly at a dealer, HOWEVER, this was in a completely different room, with completely different equipment AND with the Apogee woofers which I was not buying. So I certainly didnt hear the speakers as I ordered them. I actually liked them MUCH better at home, AFTER I bought them.
I heard Martin Logan CLS speakers very briefly, but never listened to the SL-3s that I eventually ordered and enjoyed for a few years.
My Magneplanar Tympani IVas were purchased sight unseen from a collector in Canada and shipped directly to Magnepan. Had never heard a pair of Tympanis before but always wanted them.
I bought a pair of Epos speakers over the web because they were on sale and I read several different good reviews about the warmth of their midrange. I love them.
And finally, I just bought a 5.1 set of Infinity TSS 750 speakers with nothing but a sealed box.
Even if they were set up at Circuit City, I dont think the "demo" would have done me much good.
So I am having a bit of a Eureka moment here, which - no offense to you dealers - is making me think that this whole high service, dealer showroom demo stuff is about as helpful as a "full service" stockbroker is to your portfolio. If you know anything about Wall Street, you probably dont take advice or see your broker as ubiased or impartial any more.
Ojgalli
I agree that one should never trust a single review.
But what I have found over the years of this hobby is that if you really do your homework, and you are familiar with this stuff, and you read several reviews and talk to several people and read audiogon etc., you can glean a pretty good impression of how components really sound and fill in any blanks with years of audiophile experience.
In the end, therefore, this leaves me with the paradoxical conclusion that NOT listening (although RESEARCHING) may give you as much useful information through an imaginary "demo" than you will get by sitting in someone else's room, listening to different associated components etc. while being brainwashed by whoever is peddling the gear.
Of course, there are wonderful dealers who succeed in cultivating loyal, long term repeat business relationships who may let you borrow a piece of gear for a couple of days etc, and obviously that is very useful and informative.
But otherwise - I am realizing -- wow - that I have rarely ever listened to ANYTHING before buying it. And yet, I have been able to guess the sounds of things pretty well, and put together coherent systems.
Actually I have spent hours and hours and hours tinkering around hi fi showrooms and having a demo here or there. But this never entirced me into buying anything.