Make a test tracks CDR as it saves a lot of time swapping discs (you could also stream a playlist).
In this way you can listen to familiar tracks which can represent issues you are most concerned with.
For example,
1 Track 1 could be a spoken / audiobook recording which could help in assessing accuracy of vocal reproduction.
Especially useful in locating crossover issues between woofer and tweeter if app.
2 Track 2 could be a well recorded Heavy Metal track which will highlight dynamics.
3 Track 3 could be a female (or even male) vocal track which errs on sibilance.
If it bothers you at the store, it’s likely to bother you even more at home.
4 Track 4 could be a recording which has strong lifelike tonal textures. Are these speakers bleaching them out somewhat?
You can do the same for imagery, timing, detail, bandwidth etc etc. Just bear in mind you will not find perfection, and there will always be serious compromises. All loudspeakers are far from being perfect.
So it’s a question of finding what you like and avoiding what you don’t within your budget of course. Thankfully the law of diminishing returns kicks in fairly quickly above 2k when it comes to loudspeakers.
It won’t always be love at first sight, or listen, and juggling all the various factors can be a difficult decision.
Getting a result you can enjoy is important because this will affect the sound of your system like nothing else can. You might even get to know yourself a bit better as a result of all these endeavours.
The result could be the second most important relationship in your life (or possibly even the first! - but I would be never say that of course).
In this way you can listen to familiar tracks which can represent issues you are most concerned with.
For example,
1 Track 1 could be a spoken / audiobook recording which could help in assessing accuracy of vocal reproduction.
Especially useful in locating crossover issues between woofer and tweeter if app.
2 Track 2 could be a well recorded Heavy Metal track which will highlight dynamics.
3 Track 3 could be a female (or even male) vocal track which errs on sibilance.
If it bothers you at the store, it’s likely to bother you even more at home.
4 Track 4 could be a recording which has strong lifelike tonal textures. Are these speakers bleaching them out somewhat?
You can do the same for imagery, timing, detail, bandwidth etc etc. Just bear in mind you will not find perfection, and there will always be serious compromises. All loudspeakers are far from being perfect.
So it’s a question of finding what you like and avoiding what you don’t within your budget of course. Thankfully the law of diminishing returns kicks in fairly quickly above 2k when it comes to loudspeakers.
It won’t always be love at first sight, or listen, and juggling all the various factors can be a difficult decision.
Getting a result you can enjoy is important because this will affect the sound of your system like nothing else can. You might even get to know yourself a bit better as a result of all these endeavours.
The result could be the second most important relationship in your life (or possibly even the first! - but I would be never say that of course).