How did you choose your equipment?

Hifiman - I consider myself very fortunate - in the 15-30 minute travel radius  of where I live there are around 6 stores that sell mid and high-end gear, with a wide variety of products and knowledgeable and friendly staff. An extra 15 minutes and I can double that number - hi-fi seems to be popular in Toronto.

My relationship to many of them affords me the privilege of in-store  auditions of specific requested setups.and one store has allowed an in-home audition, with others offering the service.

Not all of my gear is purchased in this manner - many things, like Arms and  various turntable upgrades, were purchased  via the web after consultation with friends and/or store owners. But in general, for "components" I tend to visit the stores.

But I have experienced lemons after an in-store purchase, so I do not consider the in-store approach infallible.

I tend to stay away from reviews - but If I do use them it's to get a "general impression" and may seek out the reviewed component at one of my local stores for audition purposes. but I never rely solely on a review.

OI've had a few internet "leaps of faith" and the one success was my Schiit Bifrost DAC. After reading so many positive reviews and at sporting such a reasonable price tag how could one go wrong?. But the journey to get it to the performance level I now enjoy has been a long one that required a lot of  research on the web.

My two big purchases (amp and speakers) were serendipitous, in that I just happened to be in the store, probably looking at other stuff like albums, and heard something very special - that doesn't happen too often (fortunately)

The other reason I go to the store - to compare sound of what I have to something better and generally much higher priced - I tend to walk away feeling very satisfied with my system.

And those other times when I'm no so satisfied? - well,  the price tag usually brings me back to planet earth. :-)

Until I win the lottery...

Regards...

@williewonka   I am jealous!  Way to go Toronto.  As a recently retired audiophile I would love to have all of those stereo shops to visit.  Living in the Amish country of southcental PA I don't expect an audiophile Renaissance to occur here anytime soon.  ugh

For the most part option 3 for me buying, listening, reselling over and over. However over the years and  a variety of tubed gear, every time something would need repairs I would take it to Deja Vu Audio. Vu almost always gave me a loaner amp and his stuff always sounded better than whatever I was getting fixed. I now have a Deja Vu preamp and amp. All of my other gear is from Agon with the exception of a few cables.

All good recommendations.
Surprised no one has mentioned audio shows. I discovered my speakers and amp at AXPONA. Yes, there are significant sonic compromises common in a hotel room. However, after sifting through the dredge, the great setups and equipment shine - and can give some indication of what is possible. Speakers are especially revealing at shows and I would anticipate they will sound better at home. The magazines, paper or internet, fall short in covering all that is out there. And then with their predictable conclusions, are hardly reliable. But that's another subject.