2. amps-preamps
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Why is used audio equipment so undesirable?

I’ve upgraded many things over the past couple years and quite frankly there is limited interest and not much to be gained by getting rid of unused equipment. My dealer doesn’t want it. And it’s all fairly new stuff within a few years. It’s easier just to box it and store it away and give it to someone if a situation ever arises. Selling it is ridiculous as I’m lucky to get 30 or 40% Plus all the hassle negotiating when selling, so I keep it.

It’s risky buying used audio equipment so there is no interest even for very nice units. So I’ve got nearly half dozen pieces taking up a lot of space all sitting in their original boxes and maybe next time I buy some new speakers I’ll prepare a list and get a few thousand dollars after paying nearly 4 to 5 time more when new.

Would I buy a used preamp or speakers for $15-$20,000? that might be very risky. So I guess I understand why used audio is not that desirable. After buying something used, you may wonder if it would have sounded different if I bought it new? And there in lies the quandry

 

Much easier buying a used car.

 

emergingsoul

Showing 3 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
7,863 posts
 

OP, “some revelations and they are as follows:”

Those are valid for me as well.

There are some folks that love pursuing and swapping… reselling and constantly changing. There is nothing wrong with this… it is the journey they like not the destination.

For me, it is the destination. After the first few years of learning and finally assembling my first satisfying system I generally had about seven years of really great musical enjoyment and no system changes. Then I would have enough additional income to make an incremental step up. The destination always my objective. Sounds like that may be true for you as well.

ghdprentice
7,863 posts
 

I always feel it appropriate that my dealer can make a living… so he has to make money. The margins are not as high for dealers as it used to be. Getting 20% would violate most agreements to be distributors and cause the dealer to lose rights to sell… and they probably would not make a penny on the stuff. Margins are not 50%. The audio dealer owners I know drive Toyotas not Porsche.

 

A good dealer will earn every penny he gets from you… by steering you towards equipment that satisfies your audio taste.

ghdprentice
7,863 posts
 

When I was younger and had less money I bought used, from a dealer. As I got older and my purchases were much better thought out and expensive I would keep a component for ten to twenty years. For instance I bought a new Pass x350 and traded it in 15 years later for $500 less than I paid for it… final cost $2.77 / month. What a deal.

 

So, first. Having a dealer that accepts trade-ins is important. This gives him the opportunity to give you a “discount” from MSRP under the guise of “trade-in”… that does not violate their agreement with the manufacturer. My dealer got out of the business of reselling… he gives it to a third party that resells on the internet.
 

Having a long termed relationship with a dealer is useful as well.

 

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