Absolutely. The short sample isn’t always enough. I have returned many books if the reader starts to grate. Readers often fall down when they try to do multiple voices especially men trying to do female voices. We don’t read like this, do we?
Samuel West is a favourite of mine too along with Steven Pacey, Jonathan Keeble, Simon Vance, Sean Barrett and several others. Juliet Stevenson is my favourite female reader.
I’ve been listening to some of the early Midsomer Murders stories - Insp Barnaby is rather a different character to the TV adaptations. These are read by John Hopkins who played Sgt Scott in the series. Curiously, he can sound remarkably like John Nettles. Perhaps that's why he was chosen.