It is hard enough buying new speakers, let alone older speakers to use as an upgrade


The above subject title about the potential difficult in  purchasing an older speaker, that is, a speaker that is at least 10-15 years old (and now discontinued) but garnered very good to excellent reviews when it came to market. I have often seen good reviews and personal recommendations for Linn's Magik 140 speaker and the Joseph Audio RM-25si Signature II. speaker, both approximately in the same or close to the same retail price, but no longer available.

It would be an audiophile's dream to have a small warehouse to store several of these overachievers so as to audition them. Another speaker, I have come across for sale on AG and elsewhere (and is far more expensive) is the Vandersteen Treo, a beautiful looking speaker that reviewed well, but was discontinued in favor of the Treo CT , and now I think the "Vandy" 5a  Its main caveat like several of Vandersteen's models is difficulty getting the room placement dialed in as a consequence of the use of first order crossovers. The original Treo (used) would be at the outer limits of my budget,.... but how might the Linn and Joseph Audio speakers mentioned above, measure up in overall value.

sunnyjim
setting the rake angle for the Vandersteen model 1 is the same as the venerable Apogee Stage. Hang a plumb line ( string and a washer will do ) and then measure per the graph in the manual. I set my pair up in my work room in 15 minutes, including unboxing, attaching the excellent sound anchors and tweaking toe in. With the Leica Disto, for the TREO CT in a new room with no previous stereo, I probably spent an hour including precise location of my listening chair away from wall nodes. @mr_m aka Tim can comment IF I got it right...
the model 7 setup with disto, laser jig, Vandertones, etc is a couple of hour job with an assistant and no Margarita.
The model 1 manual also includes an excellent explanation of power dissipation, spl and duty rating...
Shipping cost is often my major deterrent, even when you buy at a good, fair price it is an issue on both ends of a transaction...been there!
Not to mention when one gets destroyed in shipping, insurance pays for one, and you need to find a buyer for a single speaker. Been there...

Best to use a pallet shipper, but it’s not cheap esp. for heavy speakers. 

To audioman58 and cd318;   Both have you have provided good advice, especially  the longevity of crossovers and  drivers surrounds

Thank you