Buy a $40,000 10 year old amp for $4,000 or new amp for same money?
Hi. There are bargains to be had on really high-end components that are more than a few years old. DACs change too much and we need the newer technology. How about amps and pre-amps? I know it can depend on the specific amp but in general is a 10 year old amp that was $40,000 in 2009 and now sell for $4,000 a better value than a new amp that sells for $4,000 in 2019? How much has amplification evolved in the past decade or so? (I posted a similar questions about speakers in that forum). Thanks for all the input and wisdom.
Often, that can be the case. All audio equipment depreciates over time. My current used Class A amp cost around me 50% of the MSRP, and is about seven or eight years old, if I recall correctly.
Can you give us more specifics about the amp?
Before my current amp, I ran a 125w Class A amp from the 1970s for the last eight years. I had to have it completely rebuilt but it gave me eight years of sweet Class A sound for a few grand. It was a 90lb beast.
I think there was a pair of wamms for sale for close to 75% off their original pricebut the wamms are probably far inferior to the alexandria xlf'sive also seen some older wilsons sell for about 50% off, but i think the new ones like daw, alexia 2 will retain value a bit better. at least until the daw 2 or alexia 3 comes out.
I think the gist of the Op’s Question was wondering if a super high priced 10 year old amp that is now more affordable a better option than a current new amp at the 10 year old’s current used price. I would say it depends on the amp and condition. Would internals need to be replaced ( caps, etc)? Plus, how old was the design when the amp was sold 10 years ago.
many would argue that current MC275’s are a pale comparison to earlier generations.
My local dealer has a pair of Eggleston Works Andre Speakers for $2499. Original price $14999. Also a pair of Sonic Frontiers Power 3 Mono Amps/a box of extra matching tubes $4500 original price $12000. Both items in excellent shape.
Hi, @luxmancl38 as we discuss about amplifiers this is 38% compared to original price for a model made back in 1999 (22+ years) and not 10%. As i recall its srp was $9,999 and not $12,000 which raises the percentage to 45% (logical).
Opps! Hey I had to go to Summer School for Algebra. But if you want to see one section of audio gear that drops like a stone. Look at AVR's and AVR processors. I still have a Krell Showcase in my system. Could get about $400-$500 for an original price of $4000.
Who in the world buys audio equipment as an investment, and thinks that gear will appreciate? As long as the sound quality doesn’t degrade, it runs for years, and doesn’t break, I’m a happy guy.
People who buy used gear help other people buy new gear.
I always hated buying cars, another depreciating asset, so I moved to some place where I didn’t need to own a car.
Personally I think 10 years for amps is around the time sending the unit in for a upgrade is prudent. If I saw a $40k amp for $4k that I was familiar with I would email the manufacturer and get the cost of refurbishing the unit, say $2k to replace questionable caps. Now whats out there for $6k?
Hi, @luxmancl38, my intention was not to check your maths but to state that not all amps depreciate that fast. AVR's do because most work in digital domain they are plentiful-they are a bad investment, excellent tube and ss are not. Generally amps depreciate much slower than cars.
I found it humorous. I'm in retail and I have lots of customers that can't figure out 40% off. Actually I've made money on older amps. I had a Forte 4A amp I bought for $499 and sold it about 8 years later for $750.
In the book of intelligent questions, I’m struggling to locate this one. If something retailed for $40,000 and the ask is now $4,000 then I wouldn’t worry too much and drink its former Koolaid. Cars and stereo gear seem to get alot of comparisons but while similar, they have different decline and appreciation curves. The summary though is good stuff holds it value, less than good stuff does not. 1979 Toyota Landcruiser vs 1979 Chevy Blazer. Ok but what about that same Landcruiser vs something modern? Hmmmm. 1988 Porsche Carrera vs 1988 Chevy Camaro. Ok but what about that same Porsche vs something modern? New stuff works better in most cases but resale tends to be won by classics rather than commodities.
Good stuff finds a price floor rather quickly but cars and gear differ because of what my car collecting buddy calls static cling. He identifies cars that buyers may want to drive, relive their glory days or more importantly, the ability to enthrall on “static” display. Eye candy in other words, conversation topics, a prop for a lifestyle. Audio gear doesn’t typically fall into that category unless it has the “Goldberg factor” as in Rube. Does it look cool and is it something that pushes the envelope engineering and design wise. I haven’t seen everything by a longshot but if a bunch of people gather around to stare at an amp, I would be concerned for them but make no mistake, McIntosh meters are an attempt at this. There isn’t a $40,000 amp available for $4,000 unless it was broken and really bad to begin with. Please feel free to cut and paste this response on your other 20 threads asking the same question. Peace.
10 years old amp is not that old yet. Some (like Bryston) would still have another 10 years of manufacturer’s warranty left. Though they would unlikely be sold for 10% of original price.
If your premise is true, it's a no-brainer. Buy the used amp. Who knows, if you don't like it, maybe you can sell it for $20k. I've had great luck with used amps. My Adcom 555 is much older than 10 years, and still performs very well. Same for my PrimaLuna. Amp technology hasn't changed all that much over the years.
Thanks so much for the insights here. I apologize that the $40k to $4k was probably too much of a spread. I was speaking in general terms. Maybe $40k to $10k would have been more clear. Most everyone got the gist though. I asked in three forums because the answer was different for amps, speakers and dacs. Lots of great knowledge in these responses. These forum are great resources for us all.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
