Buying new, demo'ed, trade-ins or second hand - ranked!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Slayne, Oct 17, 2019.

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  1. Slayne

    Slayne Proper geezer Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    I was thinking of which one is better.

    I would rank it like this:

    #1 trade-ins. a hifi-store get somebody's used stuff in a trade-in. They wouldnt accept it unless it's in great condition, it's likely had few owners (especially if it's a pretty new model), might have very little play, store would give warranty.

    #2 new - everything's brand new. full warranty.

    #3 demo'ed - depends on the warranty, full warranty would be a good deal, a few months not so much. My take is that, say an amplifier that been demo'ed been used A LOT, maybe 100 times as much as if it had one owner...

    #4 second hand - likely no warranty or problems if there is one (if your name isnt on it), if you don't buy it face to face you have no idea what to expect, if you get it at all after you paid, upfront... if it breaks down a few months later it can be costly.

    How would you rank it? Do you think some stuff is better than others to buy new? Amps? Speakers? TT? CD?
     
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  2. Mike-48

    Mike-48 A shadow of my former self

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    I agree with your ranking generally. With solid-state gear, I'm fine with demo gear in good condition -- every demo I've seen came with full warranty.

    Once my system reached "very good," I became hesitant to buy anything that I couldn't audition, or at least return for full credit. That means #1, #2, and #3 are my routes for my main system these days. I wouldn't deny that some great bargains are available on the used market.
     
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  3. MGW

    MGW Less travelling, more listening

    Location:
    Scotland, UK
    #1, #3 and #2 would be my order. Using #1 and #3 simply means that I can have much, much higher quality gear than I could otherwise afford and with both there is a warranty and dealer support.
    I have used, and do use #2, mainly for stuff that has not yet reached the 'recycling' market.
    Very reluctant to use #4 unless it is something that, for whatever reason, I am prepared to take all the risk on.
     
  4. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    I’ve purchased store demo’s of a solid state amp and an Oppo 103. I know who the owner is and figured that they’d take good care of the gear since they want to present it in the best possible light. Plus, it’s been broken in.
     
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