There are soooo many speaker manufacturers.

[Good4it]

How do you know which sound good. How do you know if you can’t hear them beforehand?

Just look here for a partial listing https://www.usaudiomart.com/

 

[Pogre]

Always make sure there's a return policy before buying hearing unheard.

 

[Mikado463]

Always make sure there's a return policy before buying hearing unheard.

agreed and unless you're buying inexpensive speakers I would only consider speakers that I've either listened to or could get to listen to.

 

[Pogre]

I personally rely on as many different sources as I can find such as reviews (with a grain of salt), measurements and others who have listened. I bought my Ultra speaker set from SVS having never heard them before. I trusted the experiences of some of the guys here, measurements and reviews. I was not disappointed, tho their 45 day audition period did factor in as well. I knew I was buying risk free.

 

[zieglj01]

How do you know which sound good. How do you know if you can’t hear them beforehand?
Just look here for a partial listing https://www.usaudiomart.com/

Are you really looking to buy something? ..... on a side note, not easy to audition now except for free return policy or low cost return policy .... or local craiglist testing. I have owned or listened to many different speakers, that I have a general idea about their voicing. But general review magazines are my least favorite source, as they know how to hype speakers

 

[slipperybidness]

I'm kind of down to, "I hear so much good stuff about these, I may as well give them a try".

You could always start with the bookshelf model of a particular line, and if those amaze you, move higher in the line.

 

[ryanosaur]

Totally agree with @zieglj01 on this...
You can't get the sound from a story in a magazine!
But if you choose to research using reviews from all the various sources, you can build a comparative base from which to draw some conclusions, especially if you have the opportunity to hear some of them for yourself. Read a review, read the reviews for any speakers compared with/against... then read those reviews. Pay attention to how any particular reviewer describes speakers, and if ever you get to hear them, look at your notes and compare your experience with the reviewer.
You cannot, of course, just take their word for it, but if you go out and listen yourself, you build your own vocabulary, so to speak. Once you learn what one cat calls "airy"... you'll know whether you tend to agree or not with that description.

 

[davidscott]

I haven't yet purchased a pair of speakers without at least a brief listen. It does seem that it will eventually become inevitable. I have purchased some other audio components (cd players) without a demo.

 

[KEW]

How do you know which sound good. How do you know if you can’t hear them beforehand?

You don't!
If you can't listen to them beforehand, then discuss them here and we can help. We can't determine your perfect speaker, but we can narrow it down to "good" speakers. And if you listen to some more common speakers and explain what you do and don't like we may be able to better target your preferences, but things start to get nebulous fairly quick when it comes to using language to describe sound with any precision.

 

[Good4it]

Seems a return policy makes very good sense. EVERYONE who is selling says how great they are. Wonder why they are selling? Maybe they need the money or they just bought them and don’t like them or any of a thousand other reasons,
Me I’ll stick to people here, they haven’t steered me wrong yet.

 

[Pogre]

Seems a return policy makes very good sense. EVERYONE who is selling says how great they are. Wonder why they are selling? Maybe they need the money or they just bought them and don’t like them or any of a thousand other reasons,
Me I’ll stick to people here, they haven’t steered me wrong yet.

I don't think there's a speaker out there that I can't find a review stating "the sound they were able to produce easily performs with others 2 or even 3 times the price!".

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I don't think there's a speaker out there that I can't find a review stating "the sound they were able to produce easily performs with others 2 or even 3 times the price!".

And " holographic soundstage." You can't forget holographic soundstage.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ya roll the dice and take your chances. Considering there are many good speakers out there.....

I've been internet buying for a while, as no stores worth visiting anywhere near me for years. I do my research and roll the dice but haven't been disappointed yet, but expecting to find the last speaker you ever buy blindly, not so much.

 

[shadyJ]

I think a reliable way to get a good speaker without having heard it first is to just look up the measured performance somewhere and get something that is neutral both on and off-axis. Even if you prefer a different kind of sound signature that isn't neutral, such a speaker can be predictably EQ'd to taste. Not as easy to do if there isn't correlation between the on-axis and off-axis response. I would be perfectly comfortable buying an expensive speaker not having heard it before, if I had seen good measurements from a reliable source beforehand.

 

[sakete]

Just get Revel and be done Measure well in both on-axis and off-axis response. Very neutral sound and like shadyj said, easy to EQ if you prefer a more colored sound. Lots of research and good engineering behind the Revel brand.

 

[shadyJ]

Just get Revel and be done Measure well in both on-axis and off-axis response. Very neutral sound and like shadyj said, easy to EQ if you prefer a more colored sound. Lots of research and good engineering behind the Revel brand.

I think you would like the speaker that I am reviewing at the moment...

 

[sakete]

I think you would like the speaker that I am reviewing at the moment...

Maybe I would, but I just bought the Revel F36. Also demoed the F206 and I now have this nagging feeling if I should've shelled out more cash for that one instead but I'll try to resist that urge and will instead try to get a good sub to fill out that low end, and maybe some minor room treatments and room EQ (REW).

I do think the F206 is overall probably a better speaker than the F36, but it also costs almost twice as much (and it's definitely not twice as good).

Either way, curious to find out which speaker you are reviewing

 

[slipperybidness]

I haven't yet purchased a pair of speakers without at least a brief listen. It does seem that it will eventually become inevitable. I have purchased some other audio components (cd players) without a demo.

I have purchased the (Alexis-branded) Philharmonitors $800, the DT SM350 $200 (I did hear the larger 8080), the Infinity P363, and the Emotiva slim onwalls that have been discontinued, Mackie CR3, and the Rythmik H15HP all before hearing them.

I have not regretted those decisions in the slightest. Granted, these were mostly relatively cheap purchases, or in the case of the Phils and the Rythmik you can't really go wrong.

On the other hand, when I shelled out big $ for my primary GE T2s, I did a LOT of listening before making my decision.

 

[Good4it]

Alexis-branded) Philharmonitors $800


What are those? I have PHILHARMONIC BMR speakers. Is that the same?

 

[slipperybidness]

Alexis-branded) Philharmonitors $800


What are those? I have PHILHARMONIC BMR speakers. Is that the same?

http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/alexis-sound-rebecca-monitor-loudspeaker
They were a Philharmonitor iteration that Dennis teamed up with someone in Asia to get produced at a relatively low price. I think they may have been a v2 of the Philharmonitor with the last he produced being v3.

Dennis sold them, but they had the Alexis branding on them and came from Asia.

For MY particular pair, I picked up a demo pair that Dennis had at one of the DC audio shows. I think they normally sold for $850 plus shipping, but Dennis sold me the demo for $800 even. I could be wrong about this, it was many years ago, but I know I got a modest discount.

But, all things considered, I preferred to do this b/c I knew that Dennis got the set in-hand before the show to check out before showing them off at the show. They are excellent speakers!

EDIT: If you read that link, I think they say it is "Alexis Tweeters" which is bogus. They are Fountek Neo Tweeters that simply have a round faceplate instead of the standard rectangle faceplate.