Aside from the usual cosmetic, function, and seller's history, I'd ask if anything had ever been repaired or modified, or has any abnormalities when pushed hard. Hopefully they'll answer that they never pushed them hard, and wouldn't know. If there was a repair or mod, I'd want to know as many details as possible.
What to ask when buying used speakers?
I have purchased used components in the past and I can do this with confidence their functionality is well defined and easily verified. I am starting to look for a new set of speakers and will consider buying used. Assuming that I am doing this over distance and will not be able to inspect or demo the speakers in person, what are some good questions to ask to determine the real state of the speakers? Any red flags? Can used speakers have incurred subtle damages or wear that will affect the sound? For the sake of discussion, let's assume that they are less than five years old so we can rule out decaying surrounds and old caps, etc.
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@ellajeanelle people who want more for their money and have a limited budget will take the risks. I had been burned by vendors more than by private parties. Honestly, from individual sellers everything arrived in a better condition than described, so far and all my buyers have said the same. Some vendors want to/have to move their products whatever way they can, scratched, damaged, and I spent way more time arguing with them than with individuals. My time is valuable too. |
If you decide to go used, I suggest engaging in a back and forth with the seller over some related matter--or even the weather wherever the seller is. Then decode his responses in terms of what kind of personality you're dealing with. Get a savvy friend to help. You can tell a lot from a fairly ordinary conversation. To me, buying used is much more about who you're buying from than anything else. One guy I bought from punctiliously pointed out the very minor cosmetic flaws, working hard to get them to show up in photos. Then when he discovered he'd failed to notice a couple, he knocked $200 off the sale price. Before that, we had a nice chat about what speakers he was moving to, his wife's pregnancy, etc. That was my answer about whether I could trust him. Of course, this only makes sense if you know what the speakers will sound like and that's exactly what you want. Other than a few semi-guaranteed to sound good brands, taking a chance--from internet research alone--that you'll like a given signature sound is risky. It's worked for me, but I'm sure others have been sorely disappointed. |
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