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$20K to spend on speakers…. . wait! There’s a catch!

Greetings,

Perfect sense says buy stuff only after you have heard it. Only after an in home audition.

Sometimes we are forced to wing it.

Admit it, best guess trigger pulling happens a bunch because not everything is everywhere.

For some unknown reasons we seem to feel we know what we want or need in spite of never having auditioned it.

Here are a couple scenarios based on a “this thing should work’, “shot in the semi dark” buying practices.

Premise: You have $20K and it MUST be spent entirely on loudspeakers.

Here are the options:
1. The used speakers option.
You have NOT heard them ever. At all. Nada.
The deal here is you’r egetting them for about 50% off retail in quite good esthetic (8/10) condition, excellent working orde according to the seller, and about three - four years old and landed or shipped.

The seller has good feedback. No negatives.

All of the speakers numbers are amenable to your existing power plants. They should do well in your room.

2. brandy new speaker option.

The brand new units you’re paying $20K for include a 25% discount from MSRP and sold by a brick & mortar dealership.

You did hear the brand new ones, but only with modest SS gear and nothing on the level of your own equipment which is tubes, or vice versa for sake of this argument.

These come with warranty. ..and in your color preference.

Lastly, neither of these two sets of speakers are what could be called very popular, loudspeakers. Meaning they aren’t littering the pages of the speaker for sale pages with any regularity.


The carrier arrives. The boxes are fully in tact. No issues at all. Still, there’s a nagging thought. Did I do the right thing?

Shouldn’t I have bought used speakers and obtained still more value given just a bit older speakers sell for much less than MSRP.

Or, I bet I should have bought the new speakers and put up with another long run in.

Man! I hope I did not messs this up!!


What is your choice and why?

Thanks for the ideas and insights..

blindjim
ggc
178 posts
 
Hi Blindjim,
I would go with Option 1 because I would get a lot more for the investment. 

Lansche 
www.lansche-audio.com

Tidal
www.tidal-audio.com

Vertity
www.verityaudio.com

gsmith5
37 posts
 
Go To Audio shows large and small and begin listening tests a $600 ticket and $500 room is small price to invest in a $20,000 decision
stargazer3's avatar
stargazer3
135 posts
 
If this was my 20k I would find myself a HiFi expert and get him (for a commission) to recognise firstly my system and also to find out what I want from the speaker (if I want anything) and then get together for the audition all different type of speakers either chosen by me or by him (or her).  The point of this exercise is I don't have to endlessly travel to the ends of the world to audition different speakers, the expert does all that and arranges me to go to one place whether at home or somewhere else and I just sit there and audition.  Ofcourse one can take a gamble or an educated gamble and buy the second hand speaker blind based just on reviews.
inna
7,296 posts
 
cycles2, crates could probably be bought from JM Focal or custom made. At least, that's what I would do if I couldn't pick them up myself or send a limo to do it for me. I however don't know how they would match with Gryphon or even Ypsilon. Most Utopia owners seem to use tube amplification, often either VAC or Allnic. In another thread an experienced member said that bigger Jadis, not integrated, should be a great match.
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
@ggc > go with op one as it would be more value.

Blindjim > I’m fast coming to that point of view, despite the spkr I feel I would prefer based on no tangible exp with it/them.

Never heard them. Never even seen them in reality. Postulating on pure articles and owner accounts and spec sheets.

Yet, I still think to myself, hey now, those should be great!.

Amazing. Huh? Damn near stupid when you stop and think about it.

= = = = =

@gsmith5 > “…Go To Audio shows $600 ticket and $500 room is small price to invest in a $20,000 decision

Blindjim > Absolutely golden!! Very nice.
It seems a very logical and prudent direction if one is gonna get that deep into the pond.

Albeit as well, or in addition following that would be to see the item desired if not shown at an audio convention.

This is the most logical path. Even if it meant spending $5K in travel exp. Given amp (s) could be in order for someone too.

Likely chances are both desired items, speakers, and or amp (s) won’t be at the same place at the same time. Of course. Most o’ the time it just be’s that way.

= = = = = =

@stargazer3 > commission a 3rd party expert to put it all together and then check his or her results out.

Blindjim > that is indeed original and fantastic input. Thanks so very much!

My issue with that is I would have to completely DIVORCE myself from my own ego.

Chances are as well, honing in on exactly what I want esthetically and sonically could be a pretty extended ordeal.

Taking ‘ego’ out of the equation would be most difficult.

> “…one can take a gamble or an educated gamble and buy the second hand speaker blind based just on reviews”.

Blindjim > yep. That is the number one answer IMO so far. Adding in owner commentary and their exp with past speakers.

I’ve done that trip more than a Little with other gear and the results thehn were regularly very good. Albeit, it was with items under $10K retail. Always.

As much as option 2 leads the pack, the ‘travel’ factor makes just as much sense. If not more in an attempt to settle the mind’s intermittent second guessing free floating onslaughts that will fly later on.

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