Ask to be able to spend a few hours listening to your choice at a store. Most stores have times they are not busy. Do not attempt to just walk in and expect to have a few hours alone with a speaker in a room.
Then bring a selection of either CDs or Lps you KNOW and love. AND which have various moments you can use as tests.
Listen to them for a long time with no interruptions at the store. Make it clear from the start you want to be able to spend a few hours listening without interruptions.
(If the salesman wants to chat while you listen, tell him to go away.)
You can see if the speakers can do well with certain key moments in your music.
For myself i like Mozart Extante Jubilante with Emma kirkby to listen to her solos.. Wonderful voice, and tells me if the speakers have a good upper range.
Sinead OConner for the wonderful air around her voice. Finess.
Then Carl Orff Carmina Burana, for drum wacks, and choirs.. The childrens' singing on Telarc CD is a good way to see if the speakers can spread out the voices into individual singers instead of a clump of noise.(same test with massed violins on other recordings, I prefer voices..)
Etc.. Thise titles were just examples of the sorts of things one can note and HOLD on to. Specific moments you CAN remember instead of hazy stuff. Then did the speakers make you happy? How did you feel, aside from trying to bother remembering the sounds. Remember how they made you FEEL.
Repeat at next store with other speakers. some will just not pass you personal tests. This may be due partly to electronics.. partly due to store staff pressures.(also you can ask to bring your own amp/integrated and Cd player.. SOME stores will allow, depending how hard it is for them to swap cables etc)
If the staff cannot keep from bothering you.. I suggest explaining the selling is in LISTENING, not talking.. But some salemen just cannot cope with it. Too bad. point out they can shut up or you can leave.
When I bought my speakers I brought my powerline conditioner to the second several hour trial. And was allowed to plug the electronics into it.
Since I wanted the amps too, the trial of speaker/amp was nice.
And afterwards.. If you do buy at one of the stores.. Tell the other stores what you did buy. and thank them for allowing you to audition at their store. Tell them you will tell your friends how nice they were.
And if you go and buy them online to save a few bucks after using the store to audition. Then you are a bad person.
Then bring a selection of either CDs or Lps you KNOW and love. AND which have various moments you can use as tests.
Listen to them for a long time with no interruptions at the store. Make it clear from the start you want to be able to spend a few hours listening without interruptions.
(If the salesman wants to chat while you listen, tell him to go away.)
You can see if the speakers can do well with certain key moments in your music.
For myself i like Mozart Extante Jubilante with Emma kirkby to listen to her solos.. Wonderful voice, and tells me if the speakers have a good upper range.
Sinead OConner for the wonderful air around her voice. Finess.
Then Carl Orff Carmina Burana, for drum wacks, and choirs.. The childrens' singing on Telarc CD is a good way to see if the speakers can spread out the voices into individual singers instead of a clump of noise.(same test with massed violins on other recordings, I prefer voices..)
Etc.. Thise titles were just examples of the sorts of things one can note and HOLD on to. Specific moments you CAN remember instead of hazy stuff. Then did the speakers make you happy? How did you feel, aside from trying to bother remembering the sounds. Remember how they made you FEEL.
Repeat at next store with other speakers. some will just not pass you personal tests. This may be due partly to electronics.. partly due to store staff pressures.(also you can ask to bring your own amp/integrated and Cd player.. SOME stores will allow, depending how hard it is for them to swap cables etc)
If the staff cannot keep from bothering you.. I suggest explaining the selling is in LISTENING, not talking.. But some salemen just cannot cope with it. Too bad. point out they can shut up or you can leave.
When I bought my speakers I brought my powerline conditioner to the second several hour trial. And was allowed to plug the electronics into it.
Since I wanted the amps too, the trial of speaker/amp was nice.
And afterwards.. If you do buy at one of the stores.. Tell the other stores what you did buy. and thank them for allowing you to audition at their store. Tell them you will tell your friends how nice they were.
And if you go and buy them online to save a few bucks after using the store to audition. Then you are a bad person.