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In Reply to: Newbie posted by devil dog on March 11, 2007 at 07:32:37:
It's easy for experienced audiophiles who are mechanically or electrically inclinded and/or/live in a large metropolitan area ( with suitable repair facilities) to recommend older or vintage gear BUT,especially for a newbie, this is, IMO, something to be careful with.
Do you know your equipment well enough to tell the difference between old or vintage good stuff or just plain old and not worth much. Can you see the equipment, if you have trouble can you actually get it reparied without sending across the country ( likely without original boxes etc.) or the repair is more than you paid for it.
There is so much very good , modestly priced gear- NAD,Jolida,Creek,PSB,Marantz etc. that you can buy from an authorized dealer ( or used from them-if you are sure) that buying on the net is ( unless from authorizes dealer, if necessary) to me not a good option as you start. Getting to know a good dealer greatly increases your chance of doing it right.
Follow Ups:
As a compromise, though, a lot of dealers sell used and demo gear. You'll typically pay a little more, like 60% of list price, but they'll be more careful to report condition properly and will generally take it back if it arrives in poor condition or just sounds bad.So yeah, you don't want to buy 40-year-old tube gear if you don't know what you're doing, but with a 5-year-old solid state amplifier I wouldn't worry.
For a source, if you're assembling a new system you might think about PC audio. The tommytube post below is also a smart idea and might be the most cost-effective solution posted so far -- digital just refers to how the amplification works.
Thanks for the tip Lancelot. where I live, I do not have access to true audio stores. The closest thing I have is Best Buy about 40 miles away and it's impossible to shop for anything more than a CD in that place let alone listen to audio/HT systems. I don't think I want to go the vintage route as I would have a hard time with repair work and maintenance issues.
I would agree with you in regards to used "Vintage" gear, particularly vintage tube gear for a newbie.However, used in general is not something I would discourage at all. There is a LOT of good used gear that would fine. Older Classe for example, stuff is built like a tank. (There are many other brands as well - Classe just comes to mine because it's readily available and very reliable)
I think used is a perfect way for newbies to get into the hobby, learn, and figure what they like without having to drop a ton of coin.
That is a good point. There is a difference between a used unit that is just a couple of months/years old and the really vintage stuff that is 15, 20 or more years old. The latter is riskier, not because of seller deception, but just age. An old piece that was working fine may not like the shipping process, or contain a capacitor that is close to needing replacement, etc.That said, it never hurts to see what demos or trade-ins your dealer has. I've also had excellent success buying from individuals from such places as Audiogon. There are lots of reasons a person will sell a piece of equipment within a year or three of purchasing it new. They upgrade their stuff, or get a great buy on something else, move, get divorced, and so on. The key is to be a smart shopper, stick with the guidelines and resist the "too good to be true" deals. But buying used audio equipment is a subject that has been well covered elsewhere.
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