How to audition used speakers???

IMHO, get something that is currently supported so that you can repair it, if necessary. Speakers are quite easily damaged when overdriven/clipped amp.

Shadorne makes a good point. Spica is out of business and getting replacement parts may be difficult.

Thanks for the responses so far. I'm planning on using these speakers for a second system (in my dorm). I will reuse an Onkyo receiver which has an output of only 40 WPC (into 8 ohms, I believe). Since the output of the receiver is small, I'm thinking about some older Klipsch speakers. As a rule, I prefer floorstanders; I feel that you don't need a subwoofer if you have a good pair of floorstanders.

I have a pair of Ohms in my regular system that I bought largely because I got a good deal; I didn't audition anything else. Although I LOVE the Ohms, I want to explore my choices a little more than I did with them. My budget is $250 since this is just for a little room.

"Isn't buying speakers this way as good as rolling a die?"

Yes. Find a good dealer and work with him, unless you like rolling dice.

I've thought this way Goatwuss, but I can only listen to a small number of brands by going to a dealer. Even if I go to three different dealers, I may only be exposed to a few speakers. What if I'm curious about vintage speakers or speakers that only have one American dealer? For example, there are no Mangepan dealers near me (as far as I know). I'm not sure what to do in this example.