Personally, I feel that purchasing speakers, or any component without listening to it is asking for disappointment. You may be lucky, as some of those above have testified, but you are quite likely to be unlucky at some point.
Years ago, I was a campus representative for an audio equipment dealer that had people selling out of a catalog. It didn't take me long to have a few dissatisfied customers, despite their having purchased good equipment, because the sound didn't satisfy their expectations. I discovered that stocking a few representative pieces from my major lines, and letting potential customers audition various systems at my apartment effectively dealt with this situation.
Since an audio system strongly reflects the aesthetic sensibilities of its owner, its difficult to achieve satisfaction by buying audio equipment as you would a dishwasher. While expert opinion can be helpful in winnowing through a huge marketplace full of stuff to assemble a short list of candidates, only your opinion is going to matter when everything comes together.
If you have no local access to the audio marketplace, I would strongly urge you to establish a relationship with the manufacturers and dealers that have an at-home audition policy. You can order the equipment through the mail, audition it at home, and in that manner decide if the component(s) is suitable. These establishments will allow you to return the component for a refund if it is not suitable.
