SHOULD ONE BUY NEW OR BUY USED AUDIO EQUIPMENT?

AgentOrange · « **Reply #20 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 02:51 am »

I buy used. I often search for months for a deal on what I want.

AgentOrange · « **Reply #21 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 02:58 am »

I buy used. I often search for months for a deal on what I want.

brownazucar · « **Reply #22 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 03:09 am »

I like to buy new but there are great deals to be had with used items. I prefer fluidity with regards to purchasing so keeping an open mind, for me, is key.

bunky · « **Reply #23 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 03:14 am »

Quote from: audiobat on 16 Mar 2012, 07:52 pm

I am wondering what the prevailing philosophy is among Audio Circler's, do you buy used or new high end audio equipment?

i used to buy everything new and if i decided to sell a piece i would loose my shirt in the process.if you are wise and careful buying used you can put a very nice system together. if you decide to try another amplifier or speakers or whatever else you desire you can in most cases sell the used piece for what you paid for it. for example i bought a beautiful pair of used Silverline Audio Sonata III speakers for $2800 plus shipping. these babie's retailed for $7400 a pair and the original owner lost a big chunk of his initial investment when he decided to sell them. i could easily sell them for $3000 if i wanted with no problem but if i had bought them new and wanted to sell them to try something else i would be the one losing a big chunk of money. i buy new gear only maybe 20% of the time.

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #24 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 03:44 am »

Since you posted this in the vinyl circle I am assuming you are refering to turntables, tone arms, and cartridges.

I purchased my SME 20/2 with the IV.Vi arm used on Audiogon 2 1/2 years ago and I am very happy with the purchase. I spent several months looking for a used SME 20/2. I ended up buying from a dealer who took the SME in on a trade. I was able to talk to the original owner which gave me confidence in the purchase. I have never bought a used cartridge, prefering to buy new from a delaer who can service the cartridge and replace it if it turns out to have a defect.

My 2 cents worth.

Laura

mix4fix · « **Reply #25 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 03:53 am »

Certain things I buy used; certain things I buy new.

Certain things I will constantly bug my buddy about until he goes "FINE, TAKE THEM, NOW SHUT UP!!!"

kgturner · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 04:15 am »

It all boils down to the price vs. how much I want it. I've purchased a few "hard to get" things new like my preamp (Supratek Dual Cabernet), but for the most part, I subscribed to the "reelsmith axiom" of buying which is:

"It's gonna be used when I sell it, so it might as well be used when I buy it."

Kevin T

doug s. · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 05:15 am »

Quote from: macrojack on 16 Mar 2012, 08:13 pm

Some are guided by their spending capacity. And the smart ones, like the esteemed DougS, buy used at a price they know they can recoup. That allows them to try it for free.

actually, when i buy used, it is cuz i am pretty-much guided by my spending capacity. it is true, tho, if you are undecided whether something might be a keeper, and you have to try it in your system to be sure, you will take less of a financial hit, if you buy used.

there have been a few things i have bought new. most recently was an eva-2 passive remote ldr preamp. at $400, i figured i could afford it. since i like it, i won't be selling any time soon; and, compared to some stuff, i won't lose that much, even if i toss it in the garbage. i also bought new my original larger vmps subs - i was gonna buy used, or i was gonna diy. but after a year of researching, i realized that, unless i found a used pair of vmps', i couldn't do better for the money. and they were quite scarce back then. (and shipping 140lb ea speakers is also an issue). as i have had them for >15 years, i think it was a good deal. as was the new marchand x-over i bought at the same time - only replaced ~2 years ago by a used deqx.

most of the sources and controls stay in my system a long time - digital front end, winyl front end, & preamp have all been in my system >10 years. dac was bought new, preamp, fono stage, cd transport and turntable bought used. (w/fm it's different - i am a tuna whore, and will switch out tunas ever coupla months, but i don't buy much any more, and i should really sell at least 20...

) with speakers, i like to try different stuff, and it's expensive to buy new speakers and then sell to buy something else. and amps are speaker-dependent, but i am pretty-much set on a handful that will match w/any future speakers i can imagine... most amps were bought used, a couple new...

bottom line is - if you can afford it, and you know you are gonna be keeping something a long time, then sure - buy new. but, if your taste outpaces your budget, and/or you like to try stuff often, buying used is a more economical solution. but, this is pretty obvious, no?

doug s.

Ericus Rex · « **Reply #28 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 12:51 pm »

Used vinyl equipment can be a bit tricky. Shamefully few people know how to properly pack a tt and/or tonearm so I feel the risk of damage to equipment in transit is far greater with analog equipment. If the seller has the original packing materials that may reduce the risk but not all packing materials are equal between different manufacturers. The past few tt's I bought used I sent the seller specific packing instructions. It does tick some sellers off but I'm now the owner of the equipment, right? I've had no problems when I've given packing details but I consider myself lucky so far.

I only buy cartridges used when the deal is so good that I won't lose too much dough if I have to send it to Soundsmith for a 'surprise' retip. It's really hard, even for honest sellers, to accurately estimate the number of hours on a stylus so you never really know what you're getting with a used cartridge. That being said, you can get some really incredible deals on carts that need retips that can make it well worth the risk. I bought a ZYX Fuji cartridge that had lost its diamond (boron cantilever was intact) off ebay for a song and sent it in to Soundsmith for their top retip. In the end, I had a great cartridge for a fraction of its $2,500 new retail.

Hope this helps!

jazzcourier · « **Reply #29 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 02:49 pm »

Consider that manufacturers are usually under pressure due to trade shows where they generate sales on demonstrations of new products.Sometimes these products are rushed to completion without every single bug and glitch banished from the design.If you get excited about a company's latest upgrade,design,new and improved rendering, you might be the final test of this product as the first in line.Sometimes that product will be eclipsed the following year with a "new and improved" version of your newly bought product.Of course,you can always upgrade and get in line.I have seen this many times with companies aching to get out of the sophomore leagues and gain respect in the home audio industry.
To me,this is a strong incentive to buy used.If you want a newly minted version of a product let someone break it in and bear the sting of the first cuts.The one definite thing about audio is that you will move either up or out so you have to enter the chain of resellers that keep this going.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #30 on:** 17 Mar 2012, 05:01 pm »

For budgetary reasons, much of my rig is purchased used. Though I also find it helpful to buy used through a dealer who has taken in equipment on trade-in, etc. Some peace of mind, and sometimes (but not always) they will allow returns if it doesn't work out in your system. Been very happy with the used pieces of equipment I have gotten from Underwood Hi-Fi for example. And fine with paying a bit more than I would probably pay from an A'gon or eBay seller.

It should also be mentioned that there is gear that very very rarely shows up on the used market. Well Tempered Amadeus turntables, Townshend Rock VII turntables, Yamamoto gear, etc are very rarely seen. Some of these "keepers" you will just need to buy new if you want it (or you need to be prepared to wait with the patience of a saint).

Indiansprings · « **Reply #31 on:** 18 Mar 2012, 11:43 am »

I enjoy the research portion of the hunt. I will buy new or used, just depends.

geowak · « **Reply #32 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 12:24 am »

I had alot of luck with used, but the last amp I bought was a Parasound that a cat peed on, had to get it repaired and the residue was too much to get completely gone. Decided to go new, since sellers are not always honest.

timind · « **Reply #33 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 01:46 am »

Quote from: geowak on 19 Mar 2012, 12:24 am

I had alot of luck with used, but the last amp I bought was a Parasound that a cat peed on, had to get it repaired and the residue was too much to get completely gone. Decided to go new, since sellers are not always honest.

Gotta ask, what did you do with the soiled amp?

geowak · « **Reply #34 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 01:55 am »

still have it, but not in use

Diamond Dog · « **Reply #35 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 01:57 am »

I heard the cat now writes for a hifi magazine...

D.D.

doug s. · « **Reply #36 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 02:06 am »

Quote from: geowak on 19 Mar 2012, 01:55 am

still have it, but not in use

plug it in, leave it on; the smell will ewentually dissipate. if you can stand the dog barking at it constantly!

if you wanna unload it, i will be happy to pay the cost of shipping...

btw, what makes you think all sellers of new gear are honest?

doug s.

geowak · « **Reply #37 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 02:12 am »

The amp does not smell at all when it is on and works fine since it has been repaired, I just have this thing about cat urine, I find it yucky, and I HAVE cats myself but keep the litter boxes very clean.

Also my experience with dealers has been very positive, save one. Also I like the manufacture warranty as a cushion.

AgentOrange · « **Reply #38 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 03:15 am »

If I can't find what I want used, I feel used and cheated.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #39 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 07:58 am »

It depends on what it is I want, how often it shows up for sale used, and if I can buy it new... (locally)

Right now i have items i bought used:
Audio Research Sp-15 preamp.. good deal, no longer manufactured, $1,500 for a $6,000 new preamp.
Audio Research PH-2 phono no longer manufactured, $750 for a $2,500 product.
VAC Standard tube preamp (was upgraded to better parts and remote added at factory by previous owner) paid $1,500 for item new cost is $4,000. no longer manufactured, the nearly same item current manufacture is a lot more money

My new bought stuff:
Magnepan 3.6 speakers. (they are hard to ship, it is nearly impossible to really know how old used ones are prior to purchase, and i have a local dealer, so NEW was fine by me.
Bryston 4B-SST2 amp and BP-26 preamp The 4B-SST2 just came out. and i had a pile of money.. What can i say.
If I was smart i would have waited and spent the cash on a pair of used 28B-SST2.
All sorts of other stuff new/used/ new at discout/ new at an offer i can't refuse...
Which is best
Who cares.