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Buying Without Audition

Surely I'm not the only one with the dilemma of living out in the boonies with no audio equipment dealer (other than Walmart) within 100+ miles.  How does one choose among the many speakers offered in any given price range without listening to them before buying?  The reviews are often skewed by self interest and, in any event, what you hear and what you like is completely subjective and the prosaic descriptions in the reviews mean different thing to different people.  After all, you really can't accurately describe in words what someone else might hear. The problem is compounded if you wish to buy "used" from a private party as there often is no right of return, and when there is, the cost of shipping both ways is a significant consideration, especially when looking for floor speakers.

Any educated suggestions?
larstusor
gillatgh's avatar
gillatgh
381 posts
 
Buying without audition is not a smart thing to do. As far as using reviews by anyone its good for guidelines but usually the reviewer gets paid by the products they review. So take reviews with a grain of salt. Everyones  sonic preferences are unique to themselves so what sounds good to you may not sound so good to someone else. Always audition and if it does not please you move on.
gdnrbob
4,444 posts
 
I agree, gillatgh, but the OP isn't near any dealers, so he has to rely on reviews. But, I agree, some reviewers are not entirely forthcoming of their relationship with the item being reviewed. But, thanks to the internet, one can get a fairly good idea of the characteristics for a given component.
theo1124's avatar
theo1124
40 posts
 
I am new to this hobby. Last year when I was looking for speakers I looked through the reviews and scanned the AUDIOGON, USAM, Ebay. One pair of speakers caught my eye made by an speaker manufacturer that has a very low profile, Source Speaker Technologies. There was not much information available on the speaker I was looking at and their website left a lot to be desired. However the seller was a retired hi end audio dealer. He was very persuasive in describing how great these speakers are. They were almost new and selling for $2200 against a new cost of almost $9k. I bought these unheard. I could have been ripped off but in my beginners good fortune I totally lucked out. These speakers are awesome. I went to AXPONA this year and listened to a hundred great speakers and when I got home and cranked up my system I realized that my speakers sound as good as many great ones I listen to at that show.
However if I buy another pair I would never purchase without hearing them first. I can;t count on my good luck striking twice.
gdnrbob
4,444 posts
 
Theo1124, you are very fortunate to have found a speaker matching your needs sight unseen. Perhaps having an honest dealer to help you make your decision is also a plus.Larstusor, if you could give us a rough location, maybe we could direct you to a dealer that could help you.
Bob
larstusor OP
59 posts
 
2 1/2 hours North of Atlanta, GA;
2 1/2 hours East of Chattanooga, TN;
2 1/2 hours West of Asheville, NC.
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