@stanleylocke the logistics part of it is iffy: If I buy something used from someone, that will be it. If it’s not working out, I will be stuck with it or I can resell it at a significant loss - 2-400 dollars, practically a third of my budget, which will put me in a forced downgrade situation. (Happened a few times) So I have to tread carefully. I bought a lot of used equipment that went to electronic recycling because apparently no one wanted it but me at one point.
My sense is that there a lot of sellers and very few buyers and the prices are not coming down still. But I can try NAD from a few places to try and keep if it’s a good fit. And then I am not even accounting for unused equipment, it’s probably similar to yachts in the harbor. People buy expensive hifi gear, use it a few times and then put a tablecloth over it.