Taking a pole (1 Viewer)

[rodneyH]

no-way

 

[John F. Palacio]

Oh! You mean a POLL.
My wife's parents are from Poland and I thought.....
Never mind!
But seriously. I bought both my PSB's (Stratus gold) and my SVS subs without audition. Based my decision on reviews, forums and past experiences.
Tried to do some listening and comparison prior, but became frustrated at:
A) Lack of dealers that had at least two of the speakers I wanted to listen to.
B) Knowledgeable sales people, except on the very expensive category and even then....
and
C) Dealers with unrealistic listening rooms. (Over-damped and crowded, not representative of my environment)
So it worked for me and would probably do it again, but be very careful and do plenty of research.

 

[kevitra]

I auditioned a lot of speaker locally before I bought my ACI Sapphire IIIs. I bought them used for $750, which is a great deal. I figured that if I did not like them, I would sell them to someone else.

I also just bought the Axiom QS-4 surrounds. SAme thing - I can return them if I don't like them (probably be out $20). They are great speakers. I highly recommend them.

 

[Jason Co]

John,
After your father in-law finishes a few more choreshe wil be through. I will have him back by noon tomorrow.

 

[Doug_B]

I bought Soundline Audio speakers (ribbons) unheard, after falling in love with the planar/ribbon sound via a couple of Maggie auditions (I was looking for a less wide form factor). Very little on-line info about them, but the chance that they'd be extraordinary was worth the risk of the return shipping to me. I did ask the manufacturer for a local customer referral so I could audition them, but his few possibilities were not willing (so he said).

I have no regrets. I happened to bring home a couple of Monitor Audio Gold 20s to compare with them (the 20's were at the top of my list of box speakers), and they didn't compare.

I also discovered that as I moved up the $ ladder (let's say $2500-$3000 and up for a pair), 1) there were less dealers that had a given brand and model, 2) higher priced speakers were often not broken in, because you have fewer people auditioning them, and 3) I was less than thrilled with dealer setup of many of these speakers.

After all of this, it didn't seem such a bad idea to go Internet, even though I did find myself picky about speakers.

Doug

 

[Myki Cantero]

I bought all my equipment without auditioning. But they're just inexpensive Wharfedales and a Pioneer 510G receiver. It was a packaged system that was being offered when I bought my TV. However, I really researched on them through the company websites, user forums, reviews, etc.
And then I got hooked on listening CDs.
I then bought a Marantz SR7200 and a B&W ASW300 sub without auditioning.
But then again, I don't even test drive a car when I buy it.

 

[John_W_Jr]

I bought my Paradigm Studio 40's without an audition--same with my Hsu VTF-2 sub. That was a real first for me, BUT the Hsu was a real "no brainer": 45 day in home trial period! Also, I've owned a pair of Paradigm mini monitors for about two years, and have enjoyed them, so I figured the Studio 40's and 20's would most certainly sound better--they did
I kept the Hsu...and the 40's and the 20's.

 

[Michael R Price]

With DIY, you almost always have to buy without auditioning, however there are usually measurements and detailed reviews to go by. I don't regret my decision one bit.

Internet based products? I'd say the subwoofers are a no brainer, but I'd still try to find an audition before buying speakers or a component.

I'd say for each purchase you should make a decision based on how much of a risk you're taking, and what you can do if you don't like the product (such as selling it, or returning it).

 

[Dan Joy]

I bought my SVS without listening to one. I am very happy with the purchase.
I did audition my mains in my house (Mirage -dealer A vs Tannoy-dealer B). They were the first midfi speaker experience and I wasn't versed with the Home Theater Forum.
I am happy with my purchase but now that I have learned so much here, and have the available feedback of others, I felt it was reasonably safe to purchase online(generous return policy also helps). I will probably continue to purchase on line because I feel that I (we as consumers) are getting less service for our dollar as midfi purchasers.

 

[Ted Kim]

I've bought many speakers unheard within the past year, but those were all either a phenomenal bargain (Michaura, Aura, Fried's, Celestion) relative to their list price and with great word of mouth or had reputed a great value for the price (GR Research Paradox 1 kit). Most of speakers were touted at one time or another on audioasylum.com. My total $$$ expenditure was pretty low, relatively speaking.

All of the speakers I've bought previous to this past year were all demoed (B&W P4, 601, 310 Definitive sub, and 2002 center channel).

Its just that I've come across some phenomenal bargains lately and couldn't resist the purchase. My wife could shoot me for how much I've spent this past year alone...

 

[Alex Prosak]

Just consider how many people have purchased SVS subs and Swans Divas over the past couple of years, without auditioning them, and been completely satisfied. I've heard nothing but good about Axiom too. I'm sure you'll be satisfied.

FWIW, after seeing the responsiveness of the guys at AV123 regarding the switch from Divas to Rockets, I'll be setting some mulah aside for a Rocket setup. I've never seen service like they provide from a B&M store.

Alex

 

[BryanZ]

Speakers only:

nOrh drum 3.0 (sold)
nOrh ceramic 4.0 package (1 pair is with the bedroom system)
nOrh wood 5.1s (mains)
Wharfedale Valdus 500 (use now as stands for the bedroom)
Wharfedale Valdus center (not in use)
AR 206HO (given away)
Audiosource SW-10 (given away)
SVS 20-39CSi

Electronics:
nOrh Le Amp (pair)
Samson S700
Outlaw 1050
HK AVR-40 (given away)

Cables:
Clearview interconnects

I've bought alot of stuff online. In the end it has been much better than what I could have bought at a store. However, with much of that equipment I researched it several months prior to purchase. I absolutely think most of it was worth what I paid for it (Wharfedale and Audiosource stuff were not).

 

[Holadem]

The problem with audioning AFAIK is that generally, my mind is already set on the speaker. Therefore it sounds better than everything else I try :rolleyes
Also, after recentrly uograding my receiver and seeing the tremendous change in tonal characteristic, I think auditioning is a little overrated: Too many variables can dramatically change the way a speaker sound.
Bottom line: I will audition whenever possible, but I won't go out of my way to do so.
--
Holadem

 

[ricky ho]

i bought my speakers without auditioning. i did do extensive research on many forums before making my decision. in fact, that's how i bought all my equipment. so far i have not been disappointed.

 

[Geoff S]

I auditioned my main speakers (Boston Acoustics VR-950s) in comparison with others. My salesmen recomended them highly and after listening to them I was impressed. I researched them, and read reviews. There was nothing about that other speakers that overshadowed the ones i got. I later matched them with a VR-10 center and PV600 sub.

Most of the time now I rely on reading multiple reviews, making a decision and lastly a taking quick listen to make sure.

For most of us out there it's easy to fall in love with one brand of speakers and keep buying from that manufacturer for years to come.