Yes, 3 of the last 5 pairs of speakers I purchased were without hearing them first.
Do You Buy Speakers Without Hearing Them?
In the 'good old days' there were a lot of hifi stores around so there was plenty of opportunity to go in and listen to various brands and models of speakers. With the continuing disappearance of audio shops, I'm wondering if more people are making the leap to buy speakers they've never heard in person, or just limiting their purchase options to the brands they can hear locally? If you are buying a speaker that you haven't heard, how do you get comfortable with that? Magazine reviews? YouTube demos?
I've mostly heard any speaker I ended up buying, but in two cases I bought speakers that weren't available in my area. I made my decision based on reviews. In one case the speaker was really nice, but in the second case, the speaker was well-reviewed but ended up being disappointing.
Appreciate your thoughts.
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- 88 posts total
First, I heard ProAc Response 2, and I liked them. Then, I heard Response 3 and their sound stuck in my had as the best I have ever heard. However, they were way beyond my reach, so I purchased Response 2. At some point later, I heard Response 2.5 but they did not tempt me enough to replace my Response 2. When Response 3.8 appeared, I purchased a pair without hearing them and they exceeded Response 2 in every possible way. They were exactly as I was hoping they would be. In an unlikely case that I get an opportunity ($$$) to upgrade, I would go for K6 and I would not insist on hearing them. But chances are I will die with Response 3.8 in my possession, which is not a bad way to die at all. |
I usually try and hear everything first. Speakers. Amps. Pre amps. But didn’t do that with my last 2 big purchases. The first one was the B&W Matrix 800s. Have read about them for many many many years. I knew they would be phenomenal. Also without hearing I bought the ARC Ref 750s. Once again I read many many reviews over the years. No regrets. Same with my AQ Dragon PCs. Phenomenal sound. No regrets. |
@deep_333 How to find out the IQ level of speaker designer? Is there some kind of database? |
- 88 posts total