Every listening environment is different. Especially size and shape and places where the speakers can be positioned. My room is very large, for example - much larger than anything that I have seen in any dealer's showroom. Therefore, I always try to audition speakers at home before purchasing. It is not always easy, but I have shied away from dealers who do not offer some sort of in-home audition - even if only for a few hours. Some dealers will personally bring the equipment (sometimes even a few different pairs of speakers); and others will have a short-term lending program (ie., over a weekend). I have had experiences in which speakers sounds better at home than in the store, but mostly vice versa. Another option is to buy speakers directly from a manufacturer that offers a trial period - sometimes for as long as 60 days.
Store sound v/s Home sound
I have purchased a number of speakers over the years. One of the constant problems is when the speaker were brought home they didn't sound the same. I know stores usually have some type of acoustic work done in their demonstration rooms. I have purchased speakers from stores with acoustic work and without. The one difference in all cases, my ceiling is 8 feet high, their ceilings are 9 ft. or more. Does or should this hight make that much difference. Most of the speakers purchased sound good once home, but never as good as at the store. I made a purchase with the amplifier, processor and speakers demonstrated together, once home the system didn't sound the same. The store was always better.
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IMO, in the normal home environment, where you do not have unlimited positioning options, speaker selection is a total crapshoot without a home audition. I have owned several really good speakers, such as the Harbeth SHL5s and Montor 30s, Totem Forests and Hawks, Coincident Partial Eclipse and Opera Callas monitors and each one worked very differently in my room. The Monitor 30s had absolutely no bass, but the little Callas Monitors sounded full and balanced. It's all the way they work with the room. What's the answer? If you are buying new, demand a home audition. If not, buy used, hope for the best and sell at a small or no loss. But when you do get the right speaker, you will know it. Everything will just sound right. Best of luck. |
"And buy 'Get Better Sound'. " That's a decent book, but try reading this publication first. http://vandersteen.com/audio-perfectionist-journal There's 16 issues you can download, and they're all free. Its just my opinion, but I think APJ is the best reference I've seen on high end audio, by far. Its a must read, especially if you are a beginner. With regards to this discussion, there's a lot of great info on room tuning. They even teach you how to make DIY tuning panels that are as good as ones that cost a lot of money. |
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