Buying used vs new?

I bought my Pass xp10 used at half price.  I love it.  I think it depends on the quality and reviews of the initial product.  Then the age.

I agree with jgoldrick.  I'd add that if it's a current model, that's even better.  The only caveat is that if you are purchasing a tube power amp, the tubes on the power side wear out the fastest and might be expensive to replace...so I'd factor that in.  Most people I know who enjoy tube preamps get a lot of life from those tubes.

I personally would shy away from purchasing a dealer demo unit, as they have many more hours on them, compared to one which is owned by an individual.

I'm hesitant to purchase pre-owned speakers, as I find it's oftentimes difficult to identify whether they have been abused by the previous owner.

Absolutely. No moving parts. The preamp is the heart of a system. So leveraging your purchasing power by buying used is a great way to go. A good preamp will last many decades… Actually I have the first integrated amp I purchased in 1972. Still works.

Agree buying gently used is the way to go, if not I would only have half the system I have now.

Great comments.  

Agree with everything said.  There is a small risk finding/buying gently used, but I have had great luck with trade in's.  Someone always wants the next best (more expensive) thing, no mater how good their trade in is.  So, I pick up last year's model, etc., for peanuts.

As long as you are not reflexively jumping at a bargain, i.e., it is a model you want apart from the cheap price, you should go for the deal.  Something like a preamp should last a lifetime and will not be  significantly degraded in performance--it will be like new.  This not like a CD player or a phono cartridge which will wear out and have a limited useful life (in which case you are buying the remaining life of the item without knowing how much use was made of it).

I have put together two systems buying almost everything on the used market. I agree with everyone else. 

If the seller has good feedback I would do it without worry. You'll save a lot of money and get what you wanted for less.

I agree about buying used being the way to go to get more for the $$. However I would reconsider units less than 1 yr old which do not have a transferrable warranty. I bought a used amp from a gentleman who had good feedback. I thought it was a good deal considering it was just about 1 yr old. He said he had been away for the previous 6 mos. and that he had another system which got more play. So the amp didn’t have that many hrs on it. Great.. So I got the amp and it didn’t take long to realize that the amp & tubes were not even broke in yet. OK, that was a plus...or so I thought until a month or so ;later when powering the amp up, I heard a thud, whereby my wife said, "What was that?"

One of the Nature series Shuguang KT88 tubes had blown. Not just that, it took out a power supply. The mfg / bldr was very generous with his help but bottom line is that it was not in warranty cause I bought used. He described it as a catastrophic tube failure due to its ability to bypass the fuse meant to protect from this. That cost me about $500 to fix with the shipping which isn’t cheap to Canada.

This could happen to any amp I suppose. However I believe electronics are more prone to have problems during break in period, I suspect normal operation by the original owner may have shown the weakness during the warranty period and have been repaired under warranty instead on my out of pocket. Live and learn. Its a great amp BTW

A good piece is a good piece and buying used can save you a fortune for sure, hope it works out for you, also one thing to consider is that the component is broken in with a used piece which can sometimes take hundreds of hours before it sounds correct.

I’ve ALWAYS bought stuff used. Why pay the full freight?

If it’s a POS, then half off is not a good deal.

if it's something without functionality you want, then half off is not a good deal. 

Because it's impossible to differentiate between used and abused.

For reputable equipment always buy used if available in good condition. Saves you the 6+ months running in. Dealer amps and speakers likely current models and unlikely to be abused. Not like cars. 

I have bought used and new.  I usually contact the manufacture directly on new purchases (smaller north American companies) to get a better deal.  One absolute is service.  It doesn't matter how good a deal you got if it can't be serviced hopefully by the manufacture in north America.

For me, just know the source.
I am less trusting of trade ins unless single owner.  I would rather buy from a trusted seller personally.  Or local.  Local is best.

goose509 posts07-14-2021 6:59pm....... I usually contact the manufacture directly on new purchases (smaller north American companies) to get a better deal.

It wouldn't do business with a company that undercut their own retailers. Not much of a business model.

I bought my Monitor Audio Gold 100 (latest version) speakers used and saved a bundle, literally like new, sound amazing with my NAD 33.

Just replaced the core of my system after 4 1/2 decades. New used Cary SLP05 with ultimate upgrade and a SST Son of Ampzilla II, both bought at half price and in near-new condition. Good  stuff doesn’t break much, and is fixable if it  does. Best way to get into the top tier gear, in-house. The stuff I replaced ARSP6B I got used at near half price, and a GAS Ampzilla that I built, both still working great, I got my money’s worth!

definitely not worth doing

send me link please

Depends on the preamp. Which one?  Saving money is good....getting great equipment with your money is better.

Nearly every component in my system, including my preamp, was purchased used, either on here or the other major resale site. The only things that were purchased from a dealer were my speakers but I bought them as demo models, and my turntable, also a demo. Preamp should be absolutely fine as a used purchase. Would probably avoid buying a TT used unless you can pick it up in person. Too many little fiddly moving parts that could get damaged in transit. 

There’s a lot of considerations between new and used purchases, including warranty and availability for gear support if needed. My systems contain a mix of new and used gear. I was able to pick up my VAC preamp for 55% of new retail buying used. It had only been used for 6 months and there was no way I would find anything new to compete with it in the same price level I paid.

Buying used can be a good option; you said several years but not how many.  5? 10? 40? 50?  I've bought most of my equipment used but I've drawn the line at things made in the 70's and 80's - some parts are not available for certain models, so you might be left scrounging for second hand parts or trying to cobble together your own.  A selling point often touted for older MacIntosh units is that they can be serviced no matter how old they are, but even with those certain parts are not available.

I bought a "part" (actually a pair of parts) that was built in 1939, so I don't know about a maximum age.  The pair of compression drivers are among the best things I've added to my system.  I don't think there is any warranty remaining on it; I suppose that is the downside.

If the seller is reputable and will stand behind the sale, used is fine.

I recently purchased an ARC SP6 pre-amp from a reputable dealer, it had an issue, I had it fixed (not expensive) and they paid for it. 

The pre-amp is wonderful, and I will no longer need a $20,000 pre-amp, so new is not an option for me.  I am VERY happy with my used gear.

Cheers!

Buying used from a dealer? Dont know where product has been. Like meeting a girl or guy. 
How does one know about product history, ie preamp, or does it matter?

In general, who cares where it has been. Unless banged up or with grease dripping from it. Most likely bought by someone that knew something about high end audio. I guess if it is from an inner city pawn shop… I would be hesitant. 

The only thing I would add is that the age makes a big difference. You should figure on replacing the capacitors at somewhere between 15 and 20 years old. If the preamp is 15 years old (+/- 2005 vintage) you need to find out the cost to recap it and figure that into the cost. I spent $7K in the last two years recapping my Krell amp, preamp, phono preamp, and CD player but it was worth it because I intend to keep these pieces for the long term. My point is that recapping is pretty expensive on high end gear so you need to take that into account when buying used.

If you can live at a few dings, there is no reason not to buy used speakers unless they are decades old. But even in the case of needing to recone old drivers, that is not a big deal.
When buying used speakers, best to buy ones that you know are to your liking. Great to hear them first but reviews can be a guide post.
Two things to not buy used are TT and cartridges. Obviously, these things wear out. I bought a used Woodsong Garrard 301. It was in great shape but still needed a couple of hundred to make it functional. But you really can’t trust a retipped cartridge. New is always best. SS components are usually fine used. Tubes do need replacing and the heat from tubes can effect the longevity. I guess this can also be said about Class A amps. But, mostly, preamps and amps are good used. And CD players and transports also wear out but quality ones last decades. I have a 25 year old Theta Compli transport that is still great. Best to have transferable warranties. There is always a chance that a unit will fail but if defective it usually does so in the first year or less. Usually safe with major brands.

I guess I have been very lucky when it comes to used equipment. Touch wood! I would say almost 60% of my gear was bought used. The only time I bought something that broke after a few month was the Naim Unitiqute integrated amp. But generally, I never buy anything older than 5 years.

I bought my amp new but NAD pre-amp, Oppo, Maggies, turntable and cables all "pre-owned" as the phrase goes. One advantage not mentioned of buying used is if you got a component you thought you'd like but it turned out you didn't, you can bail out much cheaper.

Old or new Quality gear sounds better AND is more likely serviceable and worth repairing in the unlikely event something pops up.  Tubes can be replaced and are part of the fun.  Well designed solid state can last for years and again if it's well designed it is usually serviceable.  if you buy a New amp or worse speakers and pay 10k and discover you're not happy after 6 months you are probably out 3k to 5k.  Big, heavy items are harder and more expensive to ship meaning your reselling market area is likely reduced AND keep in mind we are a dying breed.  Very few people invest in anything more than earbuds these days.  Being part of a dying breed has it's advantages when shopping for used gear.  It's not likely that the seller is getting multiple offers so if he wants to sell,  your reasonable offer will be compelling.  If you follow how long many great pieces stay on Agon you know what i mean.    

jgoldrick  I noticed you did not mention sound, and reliability.  I use reviews to cull the herd, and my ears for decision making.

There's an old joke: Why did God create Gentiles? Answer; Because someone has to pay retail! Well, I don't like paying retail so used it is. Once in a while, I've gotten lucky by owning the gear for several years and then selling it for what I paid. Who can argue with that? Joe

All of my equipment is used or floor model.

I had a guest over for the first time last night who is a professional classical musician/composer and leads a jazz ensemble and is also a recording engineer. He is my age (translation: an old dude).

He said that my system is the best home audio system he has ever heard.

And, I don't use expensive cables or speaker (not lamp wire, standard entry level Monster) wire.

Haven't bought anything significant new for decades. You can buy used (carefully) and save a huge amount of money - at least half.

Ask yourself - do you want to own a system with a total new cost of $100K some day?  Would you rather have it today for $25K or wait 20 years until you can afford to write that big cheque?

Since the internet and the used audio market were invented I’ve always bought used. I’ve bought one dac and one integrated tube amp new in 26 years. The list has been many preamps, many amps, CD players, 3 turntables, countless  loudspeakers all Martin Logans and open baffle speakers. I’ve never had an item break or arrived damaged. Good luck? 

Got tired of trying to read every reply. But I'd agree with 2/3 of the thread I read and add one caveat. Have you heard it in your system? Have you read reports of it working positively with your amp? If not, even at half price it will be a crap shoot. Not every preamp works with every amp. System synergy is of utmost importance.

The only new item I have purchased in 20 years is one cartridge. Everything else which includes at least 50 transactions was ALL used. The main factor with used is knowing what you are buying. That is the beauty of it! You can buy smart and resell if it doesn’t work out. Most of us take excellent care of our gear so outside of a few nasty people and/or smokers you are all good.....LOL.

I've bought used gear The Music Room in Colorado, tmraudio.com, where a technician checks it over before they sell.   This is a reasonable compromise between savings and reliability.  Whereas I buy my integrated amplifiers new because I want newer class D because of heat, ventilation requirements and low current draw on my old house's electricity.   

I buy used often, I’ll only buy something that is super clean and hope that it was taken care of.  
My last amps were used , paid half of what they were new and have enjoyed them for about eight years.  They still look like new and have been rock solid.  
Something very special has to coincide with me having some play money to buy new.