have you ever bought stereo without listening first

Yup. Pretty much everyting except speakers the last 20yrs as all the audio businesses have either transitioned to custom home theater and don't demo anything, only sell super high end and carry very little stock, sell online only, or have gone belly up. I had to drive 2hrs to listen to my speakers before buying. 

Unexpected. So many responses in the "did not hear it first" camp. I thought it would be just the opposite.

I bought only one pair of speakers hearing them first, and that was by chance. Heard them, liked them, bought them. Everything else was based on looks and features, I guess.

Once upon a time, no.

Of late, yes.

The overall quality of the majority of equipment has risen to the point that only 'nuance' has become the variable.  Generally, the space it exists within has become the major issue...

But I can't hear dog whistles either, so no huge loss imho....

Only 1 pair of speakers in 86
cerwin vega d-9’s

 1812 overture, woofers really moves some major air!
bouthe on the spot.

 About every other component bought unheard.

never been disappointed

Most of the electronics I've bought were either borrowed from the dealer for home audition, or purchased with a right to return the item if I did not like what I heard.  Speakers were only auditioned in the store even when a home audition was offered (to much risk of damage in transportation/setup), and again, I had the right to return the speakers if they did not work in my setup.

When I went on a search for a high end turntable and tonearm, I knew that home audition was not all that practical, so I asked a friend who was in the audio industry for advice.  He has heard hundreds of setup ups in shops and in people's home and he gave me a recommendation that had nothing to do with the company he represented.  I went with that table/tonearm even though I had only casually heard it in a system I was not familiar with.  That was my one big, mostly blind, purchase.