As far as asking others for their opinions, why not? There's way too much equipment out there to listen to even a good portion. If a few folks recommend something then I often use that to narrow down the search. I agree with JL35 that its just a starting point.
I also like to stick with brands that are from more reliable companies. As the owner in the past of Enlightened Audio and Meadowlark equipment that used Audax tweeters it is tough when your manufacturer goes out of business (Meadowlark is back at least)
Once I've found a few items that seem to make sense its time to listen. I have found that there's too much going on when doing A-B comparisons so I break it down. I pick a musical passage that highlights either treble, mids or bass. Say I start with a passage featuring a bass guitar. I just listen to that portion going back and forth until I can tell which I like best. Then I do the same for a passage that higlights the mids and then treble. In my experience one unit will "win" on all three, but of course that needn't be true. I've found that the one that gets all the parts right will typically be the unit that has the best overall sound too.
Not an easy hobby, but maybe that's part of the fun!
I also like to stick with brands that are from more reliable companies. As the owner in the past of Enlightened Audio and Meadowlark equipment that used Audax tweeters it is tough when your manufacturer goes out of business (Meadowlark is back at least)
Once I've found a few items that seem to make sense its time to listen. I have found that there's too much going on when doing A-B comparisons so I break it down. I pick a musical passage that highlights either treble, mids or bass. Say I start with a passage featuring a bass guitar. I just listen to that portion going back and forth until I can tell which I like best. Then I do the same for a passage that higlights the mids and then treble. In my experience one unit will "win" on all three, but of course that needn't be true. I've found that the one that gets all the parts right will typically be the unit that has the best overall sound too.
Not an easy hobby, but maybe that's part of the fun!