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How to meaningfully audition speakers??

I think this topic has appeared elsewhere, even if worded differently. But I thought I'd ask anyway.

Just upgraded my amp and was thinking about auditioning different speakers. Problem is that there are only a handful of high-end B&M stores nearby. Another complication is that no one store has the 2 or 3 speaker brands that I want to check out.

Further, I am dubious that one can meaningfully audition gear by running from store to store because the test conditions are not identical. In addition, unless a piece is really terrible or incredibly terrific, I don't trust my aural memory. Perhaps other have a different view.

Seems to me that the best way to accomplish what I want is to have the speakers of interest brought to my house and hooked up to my rig. But -- I am NOT aware of any dealer willing to part with expensive gear like that, especially if it has to be specially ordered from a distributor because the model is not on display.

So the Q is what do most folks do? Just buy speakers on hope and a prayer?? Rely on reviews or Forum comments??
bifwynne
tls49's avatar
tls49
1,351 posts
 
You missed the point Bo, re-read.
Tubegroover, shouldn't you expect this from someone sitting in one of those Dutch coffee shops with his iPad or laptop. I'm sure the iPad or laptop has 3D sound.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,789 posts
 
I don't smoke, I never did. I don't like Apple. I prefer pure audio products.
wolf_garcia
6,615 posts
 
I have a hot girlfriend, so it looks like it's you Mapman.
blueranger's avatar
blueranger
719 posts
 
Listen to one of your favorite songs several times the week before and then right before (but not loud) before you go to audition. That should help some. Try to pick a revealing test track.
geek101
284 posts
 
@bifwynne My first pair of speakers are what I purchased sight unseen and unheard! after intense googling and reviewing and (reading at that time)!. Paradigm studio 40v3s used on the cheap, all 5 of them a decade ago. Over the last decade I did keep going to Magnolia and other dealers local and hear things once in a while after reading reviews.

Finally I took a vacation for myself and went to RMAF 2018 and listened to many speakers. Many of them were kind enough to oblige my request for a song or two many times in the same day!, lol.

But yes it is a difficult process. You need to bucket speakers into different category. Some people say metal tweeters love them , hate them etc. Some swear by soft dome tweeters, there are ribbons and recently I came across plasma tweeters, yeah!. This will help narrow your search.

Speakers can also be bucketed by what the original designers want them to be like neutral or not yet etc. Full range or not. 

I realized I prefer a neutral speaker that is easy to drive, can reproduce a good sound stage and has good imaging when the source permits. Should sound good in low volumes etc.

At the least just use a SPL meter on your phone for the music you want to audition with speakers, level match it and ask if they are using room correction or not. Also by now you know the music you like and how you want it to be presented by a good speaker. 

Don't read too much into reviews of speakers online. I always tend to like things made by good engineers who try to apply good science or at-least strive to. Sometimes they can be really wrong and sometimes it might work just for you.

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