read, read, read- and read some more. Whole system bought over the last 15 years now not one thing auditioned anywhere, all reviews and user comments. Few times called and talked to users. Almost always my last step is to call and talk with the designer.
Ditto! Same story here. MC has hit on most of the pertinent info. You have to learn to read reviews. Look for commonalities in what the reviewers say about the product. IE, if strong bass is one of the mentioned attributes by a large group of reviewers, then you can usually count on that being true. But IF you are already struggling with too much bass, that may not be the component for you. However, if like me at one point, you struggle to get adequate bass, then this may be the component you want.
OTOH, the cable company has a lending library. But it will cost you for that service. Plus you may not have best bang for the buck choices. Many cable mfgs now have 30, 45 or 60 day return policy. These are usually small business and not the big name brands. But they are still good. You get to audition at your home for the price of return shipping in most cases. Audio Envy & Morrow Audio are just 2 companies with good reputation and prices (bang 4 buck). But there are plenty of others who also offer a return policy