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Gone are the days of the great audition.

Only a short while back we could go to multiple audio rooms in a town just around the corner and listen to all the styles and brands of speakers you wanted. Now of course, only the bargain speakers are available for audition at that yellow sign store and unless you are very lucky the exact model you are looking for isn't reachable for an hour or two drive, if that. I'm certain from the desperation in some the posts in this very forum, that people have purchased things solely on word of mouth or even just specs and looks. Dark ages of getting what you want and yet so much more available. There is so much reviewing and so little listening going on. I live in the DC metro and wanted to look for some towers in the 2k range. The two places I went only had a couple of towers in that range and I'm just not doing the yellow sign place. What do you do?
jmacinnis
dgarretson
2,595 posts
 
While brick and mortar retailing has shrunk, an increasing number of regional audio shows is taking up some of the slack. Try Capital Audiofest in Maryland in July or The New York Audio show in April.
james63
534 posts
 
If you are unsure buy used and you can resell at no loss.

I bought a pair of thiel 2.4s off of audiogon unheard and they match the user reviews and I was pretty pleased. I would not trust the major publications. I have bought speakers unheard based of the reviews and was very dissapointed.... The review flat out lied. I don't even read the reviews anymore but lets not get into that.

I think the key is know what you like and having a popular speakers to use as reference (IE, better/worse that you reference). If you compare all speakers back to the same reference it gets easier. I like to use Wilson Sophia's not because they are the best but because many people have heard them.

The vandersteen recommendation is a good one. You maybe able to get a pair of Usher Mini 2s, thiel 2.4s or magnepan 1.7s around your price range used. They would also be good buys.
markpao
519 posts
 
I used Mapmans (number one) suggestion for all my gear except for speakers. I would be hesitant to buy (used) speakers that need to be shipped. Big time chances of shipping damage unless strapped to a pallet and freight used instead of ground. IMO, not worth the risk.
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johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Well, that depends on how long ago it "used to be easy." During the so-called golden age of stereo there were rooms full of a wide range of speakers and components coast to coast. However, most were populated with the usual suspects--JBL, Bose, Altec, KLH, AR, Advent, Infinity, and perhaps Dahlquist, ESS, and Ohm. However, if you wanted to audition some truly boutique speakers (e.g., original Klipschorns, JansZen, Soundlabs or other full-range electrostatics) it wasn't much easier than it is now. For that you always needed something like Sound By Singer in NYC.

Living in Seattle, I have immediate access to Sonus Faber, Vienna, Magnepan, Wilson, lower end Focal, GoldenEar, B&W, Linn, Tannoy, Rega, Quad, Martin-Logan, Dali, Gallo, Totem, Alon,and several others, but not Dynaudio, Magico or Focal's Utopia series.

However, I have to say that if were in the market for a $170K pair of speakers, a flight and overnight hotel stay for an audition would be chump change.
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