@cubbiesman Great loudspeakers have become stupidly expensive, but they are terrible investments. High end audiophiles are forever getting the next best speaker. Let them take the hit buying new. The only real problem is reliability. Except for ESLs, loudspeakers age and dynamic drivers will eventually fail. Thus, you do not want to buy a speaker that is over 10 years old. The newer the better. You can count on 25 years with good speakers, double that for ESLs. Good speakers are 95% of a great system and you want the best you can afford. Buying used from reputable sellers is a great way to get a better system on a limited budget.
Buying Used Speakers
Want to get the group's thoughts on buying used speakers. The value proposition in many cases is compelling. However, there is a pretty good element of risk as well, even from reputable Audiogon sellers. What exactly does, "completely tested mean?" Or "performs flawlessly?" You don't in most cases get a warranty for starters and you're at the complete mercy of the adds and pics. Some of the sellers are broker dealers (with stellar reputations), so do they even know how they were treated? Prob not. Let's face it - the vast majority of condition ratings are based on the cosmetics IMHO.
Has anybody bought expensive speakers on AG or elsewhere? What questions did you ask the seller to help ensure they're as sonically good as cosmetically? Did you test them yourselves once you received them? Any good lessons learned would be much appreciated as well. I know for starters to get a complete description of how they're going to ship them. Thanks in advance!