While I buy my gear used whenever possible, I've steered clear of used speakers, mainly out of superstition. Am I making a mistake? What am I missing?
This recent thread on near and mid speakers has got me drooling on ebay again. Could someone let me know what I should be looking out for when buying used speakers, especially over the net?
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I picked up a pair of vintage JBL 4311b's on EBay. I use them as
I picked up a pair of vintage JBL 4311b's on EBay. I use them as far field monitors and they sound great. Maybe I just lucked out. These have a "paper" surround, covered with some kind of rubberized paint. I would definitely stay away from anything in the vintage JBLs that have the real "foam" surrounds unless they specify that they have been replaced recent by an authorized dealer. Yeah, better to buy somewhere where you can actually see and hear them. Unfortunately, for these "golden oldies" you may have to cover a lot of territory to "see" more than one pair.
On EBay, on any given day, you may have a choice of six or seven vintage monitors available. Plus, if you're not satisfied with them, you can at least try to send them back and get a refund. I've been lucky so far I've only had to send back one item (a pair of 4312's that I bought for my brother who drooled over the 4311's) and that was because they were poorly packaged.
Originally posted by Jonathan El-Bizri: ...This recent thread
:) Jonathan, Sort off like a leap of faith, eh?
ebay is like a flee market, trouble is you can't sample the goods. You could get a fine speaker cosmetically, but with rotten surrounds, blown tweets, and burnt crossovers. Rather than ebay, which is enticing in the prices, contact a real established company which deals in systems.
The kind that has a guarantee of satisfaction, and a solid reputation. They are competing with the likes of ebay too, but may be priced a little higher for their personal customer care.
My best advice, is look in your region, see them, hear them, consider your decision to buy. You may have to drive, or even a short flight, but if you find what you want, the extra expense may be well worth it.
I think many have been satisfied with ebay, but there may be many that are too embarrassed to say they got screwed. For me, I'll take a vintage pro speaker anyday, even 4311's, Yamaha NS-1000's, etc. Take a look around your major city, look for high-end used audiophile shops or studio specialists. Tell them what you are looking for, and let them find a quality pair for you.
Just a suggestion, and good luck!
Go Vintage!
:tu:
--Rick