Would you buy speakers with out first listening ?

"Yes, my current speakers were bought without prior listening. But for $150 for Altec 604-8G's in 620 factory cabs, I couldn't pay for them and get them loaded fast enough. Church yardsale. Although if I was going to spend serious money on speakers, I would definately listen before buying."
-Wwwrecords

Well, OK, but that's different. You knew you were getting a killer-gonzo bargain! You're the same sly dude who snagged a Marantz CD changer for 20 bucks--A MARANTZ CD PLAYER--and a CHANGER, no less--FOR 20 BUCKS (I think that's what you said)!! When it comes to audiophile bargain purchases, you ROCK! :))))))

Six of the last seven speakers ... purchased w/o auditioning ... loved every one of them; the only speaker I auditioned ... Martin-Logans ... loved them thoroughly; the speaker I plan to keep ... despite not having auditioned them first ... the most enjoyable speakers I've ever owned ... Cains

Sure, why not? With some experience you can triangulate on the expected sound based on trusted sources. Moreover, the relationship between a store environment and your living room is quite remote. Narrow your choices based on considered opinion and get return privileges on what you try. I've done it more than once and found that I had accurately anticipated the sound I got.

Phil

Well, maybe I'm just being too stubborn. I will say that I bought a pair of ADS car speakers from Duane years ago without first listening, and they sounded great. But I'm still spooked by that one experience years ago. One reason for my reluctance is that speakers are big and can be difficult to transport and can get damaged, etc. Those things are less of an issue for other components--easier to switch out.