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  3. 134120-10032

"Original" equipment vs. upgraded equipment

Hi,

I've always been curious as to why this is so important...at least to some folks? I've even seen one ad that stated: "born that way and not an upgrade". (Give me break.) As long as the equipment was upgraded by the OEM and brought up to current specs, what difference would it make, sonically or otherwise? Do people really believe that an upgraded piece of equipment is somehow inferior to a non upgraded piece? Can you hear a difference? Will it not last as long?  Please do tell. Thanks.
grk

Showing 2 responses by bdp24

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bdp24
9,505 posts
 
cleeds, I inadvertently left out the fact that the Factory Reconditioned LS-2B Mk.2 were sold for $1995. Then, only after all of them were sold did ARC sent the remaining brand new, never owned, non-reconditioned LS-2B Mk.2’s to their dealers, who sold them for the same $1995. You think it’s fine to wait to send out brand new LS-2B’s until after all the reconditioned LS-2B’s are sold? And to charge the same for both new and reconditioned units? I don’t. If you walked in to a shop buy an LS-2B, and the retailer had two of them, one brand new, the other reconditioned, and they were both priced at $1995, you wouldn’t prefer to buy the new one? You think a reconditioned LS-2B is the "same" as a new/never owned one, and the two should be sold at the same price? I don’t. If I had known that brand new LS-2B’s were going to be available at $1995 after all the reconditioned LS-2B’s were sold for the same amount, I would have waited. Anyone and everyone would, that's why they kept it a secret. So they could get as much for the reconditioned LS-2B's as for the new. I find that a cynical deception of consumers---unethical, disrespectful, and insulting.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,505 posts
 

Since ARC does a lot of model upgrades, let me tell you what they did that I found unbelievably unethical . It was in the 1990's; maybe they have abandoned the practice.

When ARC discontinued the LS-2B MK.2 pre-amp (originally listing at $2995), their dealers were allowed to buy from the factory and then sell to their customers ARC's remaining stock of "Factory Reconditioned" units in sealed boxes for $1995. Great I thought, and bought one. After all those units had been sold, ARC sent their dealers the remaining stock of new (as opposed to "Factory Reconditioned") LS-2B Mk.2's. I found that to be lacking in integrity; how 'bout you?

I felt betrayed and taken advantage of. What ARC could and should have done is offer both new and Factory Reconditioned LS-2B MK.2's at the same time, the Factory Reconditioned units at a lower price than the new. THAT would have been the honorable, ethical way to sell off their remaining stock of the discontinued model. I lost a lot of respect for ARC by them acting this way; how 'bout you?

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