Value is Everything
One should expect sound quality to win on an audiophile site, but I am surprised by the absolute landslide here. Does no one shop with their own money? Perhaps most folks are implicitly factoring in the $$$ i.e "I buy the most sound quality I can afford". I can understand that, but I suspect that most design to a budget as I do.
Still, I acknowledge that it is somewhat of a cop out to say value as the number one consideration when shopping, since it is not an inherent property of the speakers themselves. So I choose accuracy.
As for the value of the other poll choices to me, latest technology is a complete non-factor. If the sound is there, I don't care what tech was used to make it. Matching furniture color - tiny consideration. It's impossible to match everything in your room. That's why choice is key.
Auditioning - Very important. It's difficult to know what speakers will sound like in your home and stores with mock living rooms don't make it much easier. I buy many things online sight unseen - however they come with a favorable return policy. If I buy speakers sound unheard, I would expect the same.
Right size for room - I must take my ability to size sound in a room for granted as I see this as a non factor in my speaker purchases, since I do this inherently. Consumers have to be at least a little intelligent about this.
