2. amps-preamps
  3. 177143-150037

Why is used audio equipment so undesirable?

I’ve upgraded many things over the past couple years and quite frankly there is limited interest and not much to be gained by getting rid of unused equipment. My dealer doesn’t want it. And it’s all fairly new stuff within a few years. It’s easier just to box it and store it away and give it to someone if a situation ever arises. Selling it is ridiculous as I’m lucky to get 30 or 40% Plus all the hassle negotiating when selling, so I keep it.

It’s risky buying used audio equipment so there is no interest even for very nice units. So I’ve got nearly half dozen pieces taking up a lot of space all sitting in their original boxes and maybe next time I buy some new speakers I’ll prepare a list and get a few thousand dollars after paying nearly 4 to 5 time more when new.

Would I buy a used preamp or speakers for $15-$20,000? that might be very risky. So I guess I understand why used audio is not that desirable. After buying something used, you may wonder if it would have sounded different if I bought it new? And there in lies the quandry

 

Much easier buying a used car.

 

emergingsoul
lordrootman's avatar
lordrootman
376 posts
 

The only hifi equipments I bought  new  was Michi P5 Preamp $4k-$5k and it was disaster the worst preamp ever full distortion noise after two replacement I end up selling it move to Hint6 for preamp duties only Parasound was much better

grinnell
1,094 posts
 

In 15 years of this hobby the only thing I have bought new was 2 CDPs

music_is_life's avatar
music_is_life
188 posts
 

@mayoradamwest sums it up quite well. Total troll post. 

 Troll posts on used gear site that stays in business through used gear sales that no one wants to buy used gear. People reply. What a world we live in. 

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,499 posts
 

Must be working with the wrong dealers.  Many of us are happy to take trades vs. new gear.  It does depend on the item as really obscure stuff is hard to sell or we take on consignment.  But if it is mainstream gear, even expensive mainstream gear, definitely.  

jumia
528 posts
 

Is selling used audio gear to a dealer via trade-in when buying something new worthwhile? Goal is to get 20% off list when you buy something new, but then throw in a used piece to trade in and it confuses the process. The dealer has to make 30% for the used item if he’s lucky and he may evaluate it, which is always iffy.

And then selling a used piece to someone by way of a classified ad like audiogon is not ideal. I’ve seen fairly good stuff sitting on audiogon for a long Time. And then you discover it’s being sold by a dealer at a price that’s a lot higher than it should be. Who are they kidding?

Selling speakers and amplifiers that are extremely heavy makes sense to sell back to a dealer from a convenience standpoint. They deliver something new and they take the old away. Very similar to buying a mattress or a refrigerator.

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