Buying Without Audition

Well, you're not in the boonies.
I am pretty sure Atlanta has a few good shops that would make it a day trip.
Come on guys, let's give larstusor some help.

Hi, I am not a shill, troll, only wish to share my experience, I would recommend calling Walter at underwood hifi, Bought from him last fall, there was a problem down the road with the piece of gear  I purchased, his customer service was beyond A+. I am pretty sure
he offers home audition on almost all of his product lines. He also owns Emerald Physics Speakers. Good luck with your quest! 

I'm late to the discussion here but wanted to chime in to say, yes, you can buy without audition. I have bought probably 10 pairs of speakers that way. I always make sure I narrow down a list of a few I am interested in after reading reviews and/or the many audio forums out there. I make sure I buy them with the original boxes, packing and manuals and with patience, at a good price. If I find the speakers aren't my cup of tea, I resell them usually for around the price I paid. I have gone through many sets of speaker brands that way. I know this won't work for everyone, but for me, I've had no problems.

Well, the last two posts show you two different ways to pursue you goal.
You can either find a dealer in a large city and make time to audition all the speakers you think you will like, or, you can take a 'best guess' at the sound you like, based on reviews. Should the speakers not turn out to be your 'cuppa', just sell them and keep trying.
IMHO, if you are new to hifi/audiophile stereo, I would make an effort to find dealers close to you. Spend time and listen. When you get a sense of what you like, then you can make a more informed decision on speakers you have yet to hear. 

I did this in my 20's, and it is something I can honestly say still carries into today. I know what I like and why I like it.
Once you have that information, then you can make educated decisions.

I don't mean to be didactic, but only want you to gain a skill set, before buying speakers based on others reviews. In my opinion, it will save you a lot of time, money, and disappointment. Also, you will get to meet other people who love and enjoy listening to music.
All the Best
Bob

I don't mean to be didactic, but only want you to gain a skill set, before buying speakers based on others reviews.

I'm not a newbie and have been playing around with hi-fi equipment for over 45 years.  The nearest "big city" is Atlanta which used to have several high end gear shops. With the advent of the big box stores and mp3 music, the small shops have gone by the way side.  I made the trip down there and found a very limited range of speakers to audition.  Many of the brands one reads about on this forum and others are not represented by any dealer in the area.  Hence the dilemma.