Is there any way you could make that amp sound better?
Jim
Jim
Incredible deal on incredible amp
Ive had my BAT REXII power amp for sale for over a month on Agon with only a small amount of interest. Ive lowered the price a couple of times. I am having a hard time understanding the lack of interest, especially at the current price. The only reason i am selling is I bought active speakers (ATC SCM50A) so no longer need a stand alone amp. Otherwise, it would have been my amp for life. Any suggestions to make this more attractive for a sale? I guess there is a price for everything and eventually if low enough someone would be interested. I just think the price is so low now that i don't believe there is any interest at any price.
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lxgreen, the basic fee for an ad is $4.00 for 30 days on Audiogon. Maybe you clicked on the green box that says "create a listing" which costs $10.00 per ad. @phd , that $10 fee is only for items <$1,000. In this case, the items value is between $3,500 - $9,999, the listing fee is $100, which @lxgreen has said that he's already paid for previous listings. Big difference between $4 and $100. |
Incredible? Not sure if that is the best word to describe it but what i can say is that this amp replaced a Cary 120 MKII tube amp which is considered a very good amp as well. I dont subscribe to all the flowery audiophile terms often seen here (since i dont know what they really mean) but what i can say is that the amp produced beautiful music in my system with solid bass, clear and refined mids and treble, with a realistic sound stage. Certainly the best i have heard in my system. Comparing to other amps auditioned, i just enjoyed what i heard tremendously. This is in addition to the outstanding build quality of the amp with the auto bias feature a plus. As another plus, whenever i had a technical question, Victor for BAT (chief engineer) personally picks up and is very responsive. He even answers emails within a day |
Phd, can you explain how you post an ad three times for $12.00? I had to pay a $100 listing fee for 2 months. Instead of just clicking of "Create Listing" look below that button and click on "No thanks, create a Basic Listing". Audiogon wants you to just pay the big bucks up front, but a Basic Listing cost $4/month + 2% of sale price when sold. 3 X $4 = $12. Of course if it sells, then you have to pay the extra 2% fee. |
Even if you restarted your ad three times that's only a $12.00 investment. If your not willing to invest such a small amount then you can't expect a positive result. I have done this on many occasions with it resulting in a sale. If it don't pan out then at least you gave it one hell of a good shot. |
The Rex II definately looks like an incredible piece of gear and given its new price tag of $20, 000, your asking price makes it an outright steal. I just don't think that many people have the disposable income they used to have and the ones that do are being more tight fisted with it because we live in an uncertain economy/future. If I were you I would restart the ad with its new lower price because most audiophiles are looking mostly at the first two pages to see what's new on Audiogon. This would increase exposure. |
Personally, I wouldn't sell it to TMR. I have bought used equipment from them in the past and they have been great. If you try to have them buy it, they will lowball you and probably offer maybe 3-4K for it. Nothing wrong with that as they have to make a profit and all, but if you wait until October/November time frame, you will unload it within a couple of days at a much higher price. |
Audioman58 is spot on with his timing. I'm a 78 year old audiophile and have been active in the used market for over 40 years. His timing spells it out. In addition, If you look at the trading activity across a range of gear using Audiogon's BlueBook, you will see that used trading dropped by about 2/3rd's since 2008 and has barely made progress since. A lot of people have just found they don't have the discretionary income or savings that they use to have .... and the higher prices of gear in recent years doesn't help. |
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I feel your pain. I have an Anthem A5 for sale in a sealed box just serviced by the factory so its as fresh as any untouched "B" stock. Been trying to sell it for two months now and only one low-ball nibble. I tried selling it here and now on another board thats free. FleaBay is rediculous with their fees. The only reason I'm selling is I got a steal of a price for a P5 that otherwise I'd never be able to afford. The A5 is in beautiful shape and I only have pictures of it in the sealed box. I agree with the others here that summertime is slow for used gear sales. Hopefully we will have better luck in a few months. |
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Good choice of speaker. I went down the same route 2 years ago and have since converted others in my area, including my dealer who tried to sell me something else.. You will grow to love them. They are speakers made by nice people. I love that they make all their drivers in house, the LF response I find well beyond the numbers on the spec sheet and those soft dome midrange drivers, oooooh. And the lovely thing is how beautifully synchronised the ranges are and how perfectly paired the amplification is. ENJOY! |
Maybe if you write in the ad WHY you are selling it, you can get more buyers interested. People are afraid to buy things that they don’t know why the seller is selling them (that’s my personal opinion). Especially something so expensive and with that gigantic gap between real retail price and yours. Try to say you’re in serious financial trouble and need money super fast and you’re dying for selling it, but there’s no other way, instead of saying you found "a better amp" (people want to buy the amp you found instead yours). |
I have only bought and sold very few items here but I think people who are looking for certain brands/models don’t care as much about the price, of course within limits. In some cases a very low price may even come across as a red flag. If it were me, I would not lower the price. In fact, I would relist at a higher/more realistic price when the market is ready. |
In addition, there is a competition - other gread tube and hybrid amps. And.. $6k for a used amp is still quite a big money for most. And for others - they just go and buy new. In New York City they need briefcase for a wallet, they don't care about $14k difference if they want it. Look at LAMM amps here, they don't sell either, and both the price and the seller often look good. |
Great... now we have spam. RE the OP's issue. I wonder why it's not selling, it is obviously a great amp at a great deal. If I were in the market, I would look into it. Maybe it is slow market. Take me for instance, I have sworn off buying any equipment until 2019. And I usually buy a lot, so that's 1 less buyer. I wonder if people are just feeling a financial pinch. I don't see hifi slowing down perse, it seems like companies are coming out with new gear and there seems to be some enthusiasm with it. |
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Wow! You really lowered the price quite a bit too. I first saw it when you had it listed for $8,999. Now $3K less, that’s a steal. I know that amp puts out a LOT of heat though, as I’ve owned a BAT VK-75SE previously. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space to set the amp on it’s own, as you do in your photos. Mine have to fit in a rack. Even with a 10" open architecture rack, I still needed a fan with the VK-75SE. Hottest amp I’ve ever owned, even hotter than Pass Labs XA monoblocks. Great amp, just too damn hot for my room. Someone has to be interested at that price, someone with more space than me. |
Thanks. Great comments. A little background on my current set up. I had worked with Nyal Mellor (acoustic frontiers) over the past year on acoustical treatments and system set up. He really did a great job with my room treatment and final speaker placement. I had been using Dali Helicon MKII 400 speakers but wanted to upgrade. Nyal made several recommendations but I was intrigued by the ATC actives he discussed. The concept was to hear the music as it was intended to be heard. I couldn't resist the allure of having three powered drivers with active crossovers designed from the ground up. I have not been disappointed and can't imagine a better system for me now. The BAT REXII is a better amp than in the ATCs(actually I have the anniversary amp packs in the speakers) but the total synergy with the ATCs is truly magical. For someone looking for a top line tube amp as good as anything else on the market at any price the BAT is a top choice IMO. I guess I will put back on market in October and see what happens. |
I think it boils down to what people are looking for. I don’t normally sell much here but recently sold three components that all went rather quickly. In each case the buyer had a specific reason for wanting my items. I also purchased some items so the idea that the audiophile market is dying is not plausible to me. Obviously this is a screaming deal on your amp. If the right buyer sees it, it will sell. I would definitely agree with the summer vacation explanation. Lots of people take time off right before the new school year starts. I think the October suggestion is your best bet. |
@lxgreen I don't have any reason to doubt the great sound quality the amp is capable of. If it is as great to your ears as you say, why buy active speakers necessitating taking an expensive piece of gear you love out of the system? I've never had the pleasure of hearing ATC speakers but have read many testimonials about them and understand they have a loyal customer base...but...there are so many fine transducers out there with just as many accolades, it is unfortunate that you were not able to find a pair of speakers that would increase your listening enjoyment that would mate well with the BAT amp. |
Try The Music Room. They buy gear and list here. BTW,those pix are not very good,you need to show more ! http://www.tmraudio.com/ |
It's been a buyer's market for over two years now, and summertime is not the best time to sell anyway. I've looked at your amp, and it does seem like a good deal. 5 years ago I probably would have made a run at it. Today, it means that I would have to turn around and sell something in this market. I hate selling so much these days, that I just don't buy anything anymore. It's seems that the audiophiles are gone, and all I get are lowball bids, offering half of your asking price, with no real interest. It's sad what has happened to this hobby. Good luck! |
The market is very, very slow right now. Most are have having problems selling gear for what they want and in a timely fashion. Suggestion? Well, offer the buyer a trial period if you are confident they will love it. Give them a week. They pay shipping back to you if returned. This takes most of the risk out for the buyer who is not sure if the amp will end up being the amp of their dreams. This also shows us buyers how confident you are about this amp being a pleaser. Potential buyers will think to themselves, this amp must be good! You now take on more risk, but you wanted an idea to move the amp. There it is. Make sure the buyer is a mature and serious aphile. Check feedback and talk over the phone first. |
