To audition or not to audition?

[Pieoftheday]

When looking to buy new Hifi do you always audition first? I've auditioned gear in the past,liked it, bought it, 2 months later sold it because I didn't like it, so now I don't bother, what do you think? Jim

[jandl100]

I rarely listen in advance.
Buy it (used), enjoy it (or not) for a while, move it on.
Great fun! :thumbsup:

[Spectral Morn]

Its the ideal, shop first then your own system, but there are items and situations that make it difficult or impossible.

[Pieoftheday]

I rarely listen in advance.
Buy it (used), enjoy it (or not) for a while, move it on.
Great fun! :thumbsup:

Buying used does seem a more cost effective way in many ways, especially if you don't like what you've bought

[hifinutt]

it used to be easy to sell but now its much harder . i take a bit more care now in choosing kit , that said the last lot of speakers i bought blind !!

[walpurgis]

the last lot of speakers i bought blind !!

Bought my last two sets of speakers blind. Tannoy Ascots and KEF Corellis. I knew what they'd sound like, having heard similar (but not identical) models. Wasn't disappointed and still have them. Unfortunately, to make space, I may have to part with the Corellis and I've got rather attached to them, they're damn good.

[Ninanina]

I've always found that auditioning anything at a dealer is a complete waste of time as their listening rooms are generally perfect and it sounds completely different once you get it home so I don't bother dealers

Just thinking about it I don't own any item that I went to a dealer for a listen

So everything in my signature, plus the new stuff not mentioned, was all purchased blind

[Barry]

Everything I have has been bought blind. But virtually all of it was bought after reading reviews in audio magazines that I trusted (HFN, Studio Sound and the now-defunct 'Hi-Fi for Pleasure').

Never bought a 'pup', a lot of it was previously owned and if I didn't really like any component either sold it on or gave it away.

[paulf-2007]

Gut feeling and buy blind. Seems to have worked. Although there have been many changes, I've enjoyed almost everything and " upgraded " as and when. Lately I've downgraded money wise and sound wise I'm well pleased.

[Macca]

Auditioning gear contaminates your purity. Everyone knows that. I buy on the specs and live with it for a while in my room and my system, try other components with it, maybe mess about with cabling and listen to most of my collection through it before I finally decide. if I like, then it stays. If I don't then it goes in storage (or occasionally gets sold).

[petrat]

Funny, now I come to think of it ... I only audition when I already have doubts. Saved quite a bit of money that way. Speakers are the most difficult ime. I've walked away from quite a few 'rave review' speakers because they sounded terrible in a dealer dem. Dunno, maybe they'd have been fine at home, but if a professional dealer can't get them to sound half decent, then I won't be taking the gamble.

[petrat]

it used to be easy to sell but now its much harder . i take a bit more care now in choosing kit

Me too. Even buying second-hand, the two best amplifiers I've sold in recent years both cost me a bundle of money when I sold them on, because they aren't well-known brands.

[YNWaN]

I always try before I buy, even before I build (DIY).

[hifi_dave]

I don't recall ever buying anything without an audition first and in my demo room. The only times I haven't has been vintage gear on E-Bay and that has rarely ended well..:doh:

[Beobloke]

If it's a component intended for long-term use in my main system, then it will always be auditioned. If it's just something old/interesting I fancy trying out, then I just go for it. Auditionng wouldn't work in many of these cases, anyway, as the items in question are often broken!

[57charles]

Bought my last two sets of speakers blind. Tannoy Ascots and KEF Corellis. I knew what they'd sound like, having heard similar (but not identical) models. Wasn't disappointed and still have them. Unfortunately, to make space, I may have to part with the Corellis and I've got rather attached to them, they're damn good.

Corellis = bextrene quack (and quite a lot of it).

[walpurgis]

Corellis = bextrene quack (and quite a lot of it).

No. Not here.

[57charles]

No. Not here.

Bought an immaculate boxed pair a few years ago without audition. Awful unbearable bextrene quack - had to get rid of them. Very disappointing. No quack with Celestion SL 700E nor Spendor SP2/3r2 although perhaps an unfair comparison....