Thank Heavens For The Internet World Used/ Pre-Owned High End Audio Market!!!!

Its probably the same people passing around the items to each other. Lol

Totally!  I've acquired many a piece via Craigslist...some from Audiogon, Ebay, and Reverb...

I’ve been lucky in the last few years with "Vintage" Audio Gear. My BATVK50-SE that I bought "as is" from TMRaudio ran great for 2.5 years until a power surge at home while I was out took out the power supply. $1800 including shipping both ways from BAT in Maryland and it’s like it came out of the factory in 1999 but better !

Now I can't sell this amp because of what I have tied up in it but nor do I want to. I’ve tried other Preamps through my rig and they come close but the BAT still wins both on audio quality and conveniences. The SPL Preamp came scary close but the BAT won IMHO overall. The Black ICE F360 & ARIES are great Preamps (again from Maryland) and I use the ARIES in conjunction with the BAT and they works great together. I have the option to just use the BAT by itself for critical listening.

My DAC/Transport is the now 10 year old PS Audio Perfectwave & Directstream MK1 designs and runs great. My Klipsch Cornwall IV’s were 2nd hand and in mint shape. I blew the Tweeters last year and Klipsch helped me out thanks to the remainder of the factory warranty.

My PS Audio Stellar Phono also used has no issues after 1.5 yrs. ownership.

Linn LP12/Lingo/Ekos/Benz Micro Cart. also used (circa 1989-1990) has no issues and was recently serviced by the previous owner. Again, no issues.

Onkyo PR-SC5509 AV Preamp also purchased used. No issues.

Brick & Morter retailers who missed out on internet selling early on haven’t survived and those who have. Either did reap the advantages of online sales while keeping a physical presence or have a very loyal customer base.

Thanks @baylinor for the interesting clarification. Nice to know that Mos Generator is based so close. I would venture to a show if possible.

I absolutely agree. I make most of my purchases on the internet. It’s pretty easy to determine what you want or need with respect to sources and electronics so great to buy used. Speakers and headphones, on the other hand can vary a lot as can personal preference so it’s hard to know if a speaker choice is the right one for you. That’s when brick and mortar stores came in handy.

For example, I recently bought some well regarded planar headphones. Went to a local shop that specialized in high end headphones, and got to try a lot of different ones. What I ended up buying was different than what I thought I was going to buy before I went to the store based on reviews and forum comments so there you go.

There was a well established audio store 2 blocks from my office. They closed probably 20 years ago when many purchasers of consumer electronics turned their focus to multimedia systems.. I bought quite a bit of equipment from them in the day and they were like friends. Anytime I had some spare time I could drop in, have a cup of coffee, and listen to different components at all price levels just for the fun of it. Sometimes they’d say “ you got to hear what these little speakers can do” and they demo some just for the fun of exploring the hobby and the gear in service of the music at all price levels. I don’t think you see that much anymore. Good times!

Totally agree to both the availability of good used higher end gear and the unfortunate demise of brick-and-mortar. 
 

My audio budget has always been limited so I’ve bought very few pieces new. Some of my best finds were in pawn shops. I joined AGon to buy a pair of Quad speakers which changed my audio life. In 50+ years of buying used gear, I was only burned once on eBay - and it was really my fault for not asking more questions. 
 

I’ve also seen the number of “stereo stores” shrink from many across a large metroplex to just two snooty ultra-high end shops. When I was hanging out in audio shops they all had used gear on consignment. I bought some used pieces that way, too. And there was a sales guy who would talk about the gear, who often knew the history of where it came from. The two shops in my area won’t deal with used gear. 
 

Overall, net gain with internet trading, IMO. But I do miss walking into a store and getting to hear different rigs and “educating my ear” to what is possible. 

As a kid  I bough a used HHScott integrated back in 1967 and off I go. I then progressed to an all Adcom system driving Snell C2 speakers all bought used including interconnects and speaker cables.  After decades of flawless use a few years ago I sold that system which funded  used from locals, a Technics SUG 700 integrated amp  and Canton 9k reference speakers.I purchased a new Marantz CD6007 cd player,and since I saved well over 3 grand going used I bought 2 new SVS SB 1000 pro subs to support the Canton speakers. Currently I'm looking for a streamer but in no hurry as I am buying up CDs for a buck each at my local goodwill store all amazing quality.

Of course it’s left us with precious few HiFi shops to visit, listen to equipment and chat with others eyeball to eyeball. None, in fact, within hundreds of miles from here.  In general, I agree with the OP but miss having 2 or 3 shops in town like many decades ago. 

👍

On a side note @jmalen123, MOS generator is from Washington state, not France. They are very big in Europe and issued some albums in France hence your confusion.

@kennymacc Great post ... thank you for sharing!

*L*  "Something old, something new....something borrowed, something blue...."

Yess, that premise has played into and within my audiology for awhile. ;)  Not sure 'bout the 'blue'....but I'll get back to you.....

I'd thank some entity for this, but have considerable trouble believing in one that would take credit or the blame for all of This......esp. mine, as minuscule as that may be in the 'bigger scale of Thangs.'.....

...seems a waste....but so is most of the universe....imho.....;)

Agree totally with everything said and would add that the same goes for searching out interesting music. The internet has brought me Mongolian chant music, Indian sitar, Swedish metal, Iranian folk singers. Music in my own backyard here in Oregon I would have never known existed. I have always been able to get good gear but now my music collection can connect me to the world. I really appreciate that at night when I am listening to Mos Generator from France or DaiQuing Tana from China. My stereo has never brought me more joy.

I have bought and sold gear all over the world. Watch out, there are a lot of traps/gotchas when selling worldwide. There is no tracking equipment once it leaves the states, so make sure you are paid with no returns, the buyer overseas takes the responsibility as long as you show them it was shipped. Anything over $5k, the buyer must pickup in person.

Yep, between asking questions here and reading as many reviews as I can find, I have been rebuilding my system for about two years now.  Although it really is sad that there is only one high end dealer around here and only a few places that sell some stereo equipment, but mostly HT stuff.

Yep, agree!!

+1 @mapman and agreed with the rest.  My curent system would not have been possible without the internet (TMR & other online shops) and Audiogon.  Back in the day (early 90's) I used to shop at Stereo Exchange on lower Broadway in NYC. Being a student I ended up with a NAD amp & pre-amp, AR speakers and a Sony cd player.

Shop smart and anything is possible even with a very modest budget.

I also love the net & what it's brought to this hobby...
 I will lament though,I kinda miss the monthly run to the magazine stand & perusing the audio journals of old,especially the annual buyers guides,what with EVERY single piece of gear available to the retail market all alphabetized & categorized...

Yes!!! Over the past over 20 years or so, I’ve purchased and also "SOLD" a ton of used audio gear online. Before the internet, as mentioned, we were mostly at the mercy of the merciless brick-and- mortar dealers who would try to steal your trade-in gear, and then charge top dollar for whatever used gear they had on hand in the store. I remember always searching for used gears in the last few pages of the high end audio magazines where the classified ads were, but if you saw something interesting that you wanted to purchase, you had to hastily make contact with the seller in order  to make a deal before someone else beat you to the punch. Those were the days.

@kennymacc - Your positivity is refreshing.  I agree, it opened an entire world up to not only equipment but knowledge that most of us had only seen small pieces of by visiting our local stereo shops.  As with everything, it has morphed into something a bit different from what it was in the beginning but, IMO, the good far outweighs the bad.  The journey has been fun.

You are so right. It is also great when selling gear. I remember the days when a dealer would give pennies on the dollar for used gear. The internet has given me the opportunity to try gear without any loss when selling or buying!

For sure the market is opened in a way no real audio company with brick and mortals can beat the offer and the price sometimes...This is common place fact....

But for me it is the acoustic knowledge and users information experience that is a must...

I created my own system more with information than mere purchase...

It is even the same with news on all subjects scientific or geopolitics... Readiing official newspapers is condemning ourself to stay ignorant and worst...

Many decades ago it was difficult to know what was going in the world, as it was near impossible to understand and learn , through the audio publicity in magazine or newspapers, what is at play between audio system room and ears/brain...

now 5 minutes take me where no one ever boldly goes...😁😊

Look at this as an exemple it takes 10 seconds to find :

Yes I agree! And if you want to piece together that long gone old hi-fi system you had in the 70s or 80s, ...you can buy it again. Get that old Marantz receiver (change the caps) and the old Dual turntable and hook up some old Klipsch or Bose 901s and you are in hifi heaven again. You can also add a network music streamer and DAC to bring it into this century. Isn't life grand with the internet!