How To SHOP for SPEAKERS without HEARING THEM

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► SHOP THE SPEAKERS IN THE VIDEO

Magnat Transpuls 1500: no longer sold in the US

► WHAT'S IN YOUR A-CAMERA SHOTS/SHOP OUR LIVING ROOM


► HOW TO SHOP FOR SPEAKERS WITHOUT A DEMO

Shopping for speakers can be challenging especially when there are few ways to demo speakers for yourself before making the decision to buy. So how can you shop for loudspeakers if you can’t listen to them first? This video covers the five things I consider when online shopping for speakers. We hope this guide on how to buy loudspeakers without hearing them is helpful!

INTRO: 00:00
BUDGETING FOR AUDIOPHILE LOUDSPEAKERS: 00:56
THE RIGHT LOUDSPEAKER FOR YOUR SPACE: 02:45
WHAT IS SPEAKER SENSITIVITY: 04:32
WHAT IS SPEAKER IMPEDANCE: 05:52
SPEAKER FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 08:23
SELECTING THE RIGHT SPEAKER: 10:41
CONCLUSION: 12:14
KRISTI'S THOUGHTS: 12:51
SIGN OFF: 14:56

► MY REFERENCE AUDIO AND HOME THEATER SYSTEM

POWER

LOUDSPEAKERS

SPEAKER STANDS

TURNTABLES & ACCESSORIES

TOP SMART TVs

HOME THEATER

DESKTOP SPEAKERS

HEADPHONES

► MY STREAMING SERVICE

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#hifi #hometheater #speakers

[andrewrobinsonreviews]

★ *QOTD: What techniques do you use to help you evaluate a speaker before you buy them?*
★ *CLICK 🔝 “SHOW MORE” in the description for answers to many of your questions*
★ *RULES: Please be respectful. NO OUTSIDE LINKS, URLs, email addresses, etc.*

[JamesSavik]

My algorithm for buying speakers: 1) listen to smart people about the manufacturer's reputation, 2) wait until they're on sale.

[loudspeakers]

Kristi's comments are 200% right. I started shopping for my first new set of speakers in 20 years. I spent about 3 months looking at reviews and read magazines. I made the decision of what I wanted. My local HiFi shop had them in stock. Done Deal! Happy Days!🙂 On the day to pick them up, my wife came with me. "Hold on! No way are those going into our sitting room! Too big and they look awful!" 😞 End of deal! So we sat in the shop and listened to some speakers, and I ended up with a pair of Dali Zensor 5 which I never ever considered. But my wife loved their small size and their look. They also sounded good. So yep, looks, size and other half approval matter! 🙂

[mdctgoggy]

Kristi, you are a treasure. I laughed for 5 minutes after hearing "...not really..." Pitch and tone was PERFECT!. You made my day. Sorry Andrew, but I am with your better half on this. Looks matter, even for a gear head like me...

[xaviers]

For me Kristi nailed it. The looks are very important to me. Even if I love the sound I will never buy something that doesn't fit in my space

[bitmap]

My speakers have 2 prices... what I paid, and what my wife thinks I paid.

[spaceiabox]

Kristi has a valid point. It is important how the speaker sounds, of course, but let's not forget that you will be looking at this speaker every dy and you should enjoy what you see.

[frapplatte]

As a fellow female I definitely agree with Kristi. I'm currently looking through review lists and videos to shop for speakers and if a speaker is ugly to me I don't even bother reading up on them. Sorry not sorry. 😅 They might sound great but if they're an eye sore, no thank you. 😂

[dclaghorn]

I gotta tell, I discovered you about a year ago when I was deciding to get back into the hobby and home theater. Those early videos did not include Kristi. I took about a 4-5 month break, I come back, start listening to the channel, and now we get Kristi piping in at the end of each video. At first, I was like, “dude, I want to hear you, not your wife!”, and I’d just go onto the next video. Occasionally, I’d listened to her comments, but not super seriously. THEN, I heard her describe the Wharfdale bookshelf speakers, and I was like, “this woman is me! She’s the ‘real person’ deciphering what you just said!” On top of that, watching you watch her, it is so obvious how in love with this woman you are, which is great. Y’all are the best team. Period. Now, I’ve completely switched my stance; now, I listen to all the tech stuff from you and just wait to hear Kristi - the “real person’s” opinion. Thank you, Andrew and Kristi for the great content that y’all put out. No other channel gives the kind of info that you two do, and I can’t possibly be the only one who appreciates it. Again, thanks!!

[noumanintown]

Good on you for reiterating the point about debt. Stress over “have I spent more than I can afford” can put quite a damper on what should be a purchase that brings you joy.

[andrewrobinsonreviews]

*COMMENT RE: IMPEDANCE* - I struggled with the best way to break this topic down so that it wouldn't be too daunting for newcomers to the hobby. I know there is more to impedance than meets the eye, or how I chose to communicate it in this video. My apologies. Honestly (and in the spirit of full disclosure), I simply wanted to say that "not all amplifiers like or can work with a speaker with a lower impedance so always check the speaker's rating against what your amplifier or receiver recommends." I should've gone with my gut and just made the explanation even more simple without trying (and for some of you failing) to word the topic how I did. Apologies for any confusion this may have caused. At the end of the day, the take away from the impedance chapter is still sound even if my wording of it was a little wonky. I hope this clears things up, I sincerely appreciate the feedback, and I apologize again if you found my analogies troublesome. Thanks for watching as always and be well! -Andrew

[nromo]

i loved your response, Kristi .. AND Andrew’s response to it! … moments like this make your content fun & unique .. so glad i came across your channel .. informative & smile-worthy every time! .. (btw i’m in DFW so hope y’all are staying safe & warm down there in the capital! ..

[tdewys]

My shopping tip is to watch Andrew and Kristis videos. Thanks fully they are honest with positives and negatives. I find most reviewers to rave about literally everything. While sound is objective, I do find my tastes to align with this channel and this is where I start.

[philipciantar]

I am proud to say that your 5-6 step process is basically what I have been doing. Obviously, the next step of listening to the speakers is ultimately the most important thing to do. But the whole thing becomes more fun and informative when quality reviewers such as Andrew and Kristi, and other pros, offer to share their experiences, expertise and passion with us. Yep, and it looks like they are both having fun doing it. Thank you guys for such a quality, consumer want to be an audiophile fan channel. Cheers.

[michaelwright]

Well Andrew, and Kristi, I did just that, I bought a pair of speakers that I have never listened to, much less knowing that the company building them was back in business under new ownership. I took your advice Andrew, well, really Kristi's when she said "Just buy them", LOL!  And I did!

So, I pulled the trigger on the KLH Model 5's in Walnut with the white linen grills, and they look gorgeous, like two pieces of furniture, not speakers. The stands are just the icing on the cake. 

Thank you both, as I have finally found my forever speaker, this is the speaker I have been craving for years. They are the sound of my youth, and do it with incredible ease. And the sound, OMG! My mother even stopped what she was doing to sit and listen, she has never done that. The soundstage these Model 5's creates is incredible, incredible enough to grab the attention of a 78 yo woman that never pays attention to the music, she is paying attention now. Her first words were, "It sounds like we are sitting right in front of the stage!". She was just as excited as I was to hear these. Thank you both. ;-)

[DBravoer]

I actually do an aggregate of online reviews and listener impressions. Especially as I can compare each reviewer's observations of speakers that are common to both of us. There's still no replacement for actually hearing them, though, in terms of evaluating sound quality in one's room. Great work, you two!!

[klaverro]

Great video again Andrew and Kristi! My last purchase of speakers (Dynaudio Evoke) for the living room was in this order:
1: budget
2: which speakers fit in the living room
3: familiar with brand and sound
4: WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor)
5: match with amplifier (specifications)
6: match with speaker cables (single/bi-wire? length, etc.)
7: reviews in magazines and on YouTube (thanks Andrew for your Dynaudio Evoke 20's review!)
8: listening test at my dealer with at least 3 different speaker sets
9: can the speakers be upgraded to a more expensive version of that series later? (start with monitors on a stand and upgrade to floorstanders, which are just as big and therefore have good WAF)
10: purchase and enjoy good music with my wife...

[adamlink]

Great video again guys. I know you aren’t in the financial advice business but Your first point about budget can not be overstated here. I was 18 and Best Buy gave me a credit card…. By the time I was 20 I had to cut that thing up as it as too easy to make an 88 Escort go boom. And then pay and pay and pay.

Now I’m almost 50 and that card taught me so much about life. Now I know that if I want the KLH model 5’s I need to save for them and it’s always worth the wait.

[loudspeakers]

As a side note, I have been an electrical engineer for nearly the last 30 years, and I knew what you were trying to get across regarding impedance and amplifiers. You just have to laugh at the scramble of the pedantic keyboard warriors to "write" a wrong! ;-)

[Muscle]

I bought my Focal 728 Towers 3 years ago without ever hearing them live. I did as much research as possible and took a leap of faith partly based on Focal’s reputation. I couldn’t be happier with my decision. 😎✌️