2. misc-audio
  3. 1008768695

I don't get it

I breeze through the Agon classifieds every few days and am absolutely astounded by the number of listings of equipment that is "less than 1 year old" and in many cases less than 3 months old. The implied financial hits are staggering. I have developed a number of theories:

1) The equipment is being bought by store/distributor employees at or close to wholesale and being flipped at no loss or maybe even a profit.

2) Audiophiles have some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder that forces them to continue to change out components irrespective of need or cost.

3) Audiophilia(?) is like being addicted to herion, every day you need a new fix because whatever the last addition did for you, it wore off and something new is needed.

4) Some audiophiles have way too much money.

Don't get me wrong - I appreciate the chance to buy equipment at a discount as I generally can't bring myself to pay retail for most of this stuff. However, I'm curious why all this nearly new equipment is here.

Thanks
wstritt
garfish
1,840 posts
 
Another point that could be added to your list is: 5) mistakes are made. Putting together a really good sounding stereo system is to some extent a trial and error process. Some of my purchases-- both new and used have simply not worked as I had hoped they would, so I sold them, but they may work very well in someone elses system.

I have come to the conclusion that in-store demos are almost a worthless exercise because the room is so important to sound quality/character, as are component and wire inter-actions, and of course set-up is critical(sorry dealers, but it's true).

So, one way or another, you have to audition each piece in your own room and system. Some dealers will allow home trials, but many either don't have what I want to hear, or simply won't let me take their demo for a few days, or they have too many "conditions" attached to home trial. I'd rather buy used, and if the piece doesn't work out sell. Cheers. Craig.
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
wstritt: the title of your thread is obviously incorrect. you do, in fact, "get it." put me down as someone who buys new and sells into the used market. only once, however, have i ever bought and sold a product in less than a year. that was an accuphase dp-65, which i sold for my purchase price, that went towards the purchase of an accuphase dp-75, which i sold, in turn, for my purchase price, that then went towards the purchase of an accuphase dc-300. the trick is to buy low and sell high, or at least as high as the market will bear. timing is everything, unless you meet the standards of your "category 4," a description i'd happily accept for myself if it were true. of course, another part of the "trick" is having the ability to buy new with deep discounts. it would not be ethical among the society of magicians to reveal the secrets employed to perform such an act. -cfb
tk4qmmt
25 posts
 
I think 2) and 3) hold true with a bit of "mismatch" Gregm talks about. You read all the rave reviews that praised a piece of gear the best thing ever walked on God's green earth, but it somehow didn't live up to your expectations in your system. Maybe the reviews were just a hype, or it could be a system synergy issue. In that case I'd sell the product while it still lives off its rave reviews. I've had couple such incidents and sold them within weeks of my purchase.
subaruguru
1,374 posts
 
I'm quite an addictive sort, but I've never tried "herion".
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