Shifting high ticket gear - one example

[Ian]

This has been discussed here from time to time recently, the issue of moving on high value boxes no matter how good the price may be proportionally, example......

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13429711...GdOSjuE5jp8eIB2Ukk61QaxX4O|tkp:Bk9SR-a3r8CJYQ
This gorgeous thing has been listed for some time now, just over 1/4 rrp (ok, 28.5%). I nearly had it myself, but backed away for reasons of sensibility (and no, my partner isn't one of 'those', we completely respect each others personal spend).

It's got to be end game though, surely. Having said that, these big purchases are generally a blind spend, and the hassle of selling on if that's the eventual outcome is such a bloody bore.

 

[Turn it up!]

Over the last year I feel I’ve also noticed an increase in high end equipment going for very low prices and not shifting. I used to be more of a box swapper and would sell and then buy this kind of stuff moving one lump of money around from speaker to speaker. I agree it seems more risky to buy now as the resale is not as easy. I’ve been caught twice recently buying pretty good second hand speakers and then having trouble selling them on even for very low prices. Depending on your position as what counts as high end but I’ve definitely noticed the inflated prices of LS3/5A’a is finally coming down. I’ve downsized to actives now so my box swapping has stopped for the moment. If you have the cash there’s definitely some bargains to be had but I agree you have to factor in you could get stuck with something exotic.

 

[MVJ]

I think part of the problem with hi end kit is a lot of the time most people don't really know or have not experienced the brands.

Also they don't look like they are worth the RRP (the Tron does'nt) in the first place & lets be honest there is a lot of hype that comes with this kind of stuff too.

 

[Rockchild]

You only need to look at our classifieds to see that.
If I could have afforded some of the items on here, I would have purchased and kept then sold In better times.

 

[Turn it up!]

I definitely agree some kit is going at way overpriced when new. Don’t know about the Tron but I feel streamers have become total audio snake oil especially the ones priced around the £10k mark.
I think we notice the price difference more when it’s a bit of kit that started at a very high RRP but I’m seeing most equipment going for a lower price these days. Harbeth used to always command a good resale price but I’ve see a lot of speakers going much cheaper than a couple of years ago.

 

[ff1d1l]

I definitely agree some kit is going at way overpriced when new. Don’t know about the Tron but I feel streamers have become total audio snake oil especially the ones priced around the £10k mark.
I think we notice the price difference more when it’s a bit of kit that started at a very high RRP but I’m seeing most equipment going for a lower price these days. Harbeth used to always command a good resale price but I’ve see a lot of speakers going much cheaper than a couple of years ago.

The easily accessible EU market we used to enjoy has been removed to all intents and purposes, so this will have had a knock on effect across the board on second hand kit.

 

[MVJ]

I have to say I have my doubts about hi end streamers being so much better like they claim and the hi end brands have been quick to see the emerging market for them. They price them like there other products even though they only as good as the signal you get And the boxes are full of air mainly.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear so like I said to much hype surrounds hi end gear imo🤔

 

[DomT]

This has been discussed here from time to time recently, the issue of moving on high value boxes no matter how good the price may be proportionally, example......

[URL]https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134...GdOSjuE5jp8eIB2Ukk61QaxX4O|tkp:Bk9SR-a3r8CJYQ[/URL]

This gorgeous thing has been listed for some time now, just over 1/4 rrp (ok, 28.5%). I nearly had it myself, but backed away for reasons of sensibility (and no, my partner isn't one of 'those', we completely respect each others personal spend).

It's got to be end game though, surely. Having said that, these big purchases are generally a blind spend, and the hassle of selling on if that's the eventual outcome is such a bloody bore.

Ian I thought that you system sounded really great. You have just bought the Leben. Do you need anything else especially after your declaration of no more HiFi buying a while back?

Tron is very niche and so there are going to be few buyers. Nick at Emporium told me once that everything sells eventually and just because that one didn’t sell maybe it just needs more time to find the right buyer. If you like your Tron phono then why not?

 

[hearhere]

This has been discussed here from time to time recently, the issue of moving on high value boxes no matter how good the price may be proportionally, example......

[URL]https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134...GdOSjuE5jp8eIB2Ukk61QaxX4O|tkp:Bk9SR-a3r8CJYQ[/URL]

This gorgeous thing has been listed for some time now, just over 1/4 rrp (ok, 28.5%). I nearly had it myself, but backed away for reasons of sensibility (and no, my partner isn't one of 'those', we completely respect each others personal spend).

It's got to be end game though, surely. Having said that, these big purchases are generally a blind spend, and the hassle of selling on if that's the eventual outcome is such a bloody bore.

I suspect a lot has to do with the actual performance of those "high value box” items compared with what's available new from elsewhere.

A relatively obscure brand is hard pressed to sell his units at a "sensible" price as there's so much R&D, prototype construction, independent testing, etc that has to be spread over a handful of units sold. A few with deep pockets will buy these "desirable" brands, but when all is said and done, how do they compare with new items built by the thousand at a quarter the price? These big boys can spread their R&D, etc over huge numbers and get them production-line built, perhaps in China or Taiwan. In my book, these are the high value boxes as they perform exceptionally well compared with "garage-built" exotics at several times the price.

Buyers of these exotic boxes must expect a massive loss as others with deep pockets will be looking at new items, so this leaves bargain-hunters as the only potential buyers.

 

[Ian]

Ian I thought that you system sounded really great. You have just bought the Leben. Do you need anything else especially after your declaration of no more HiFi buying a while back?

It was merely a fanciful notion Dom, a cool esoteric bloody expensive pre for a quarter RRP. I saw sense, for now anyway 😉

And the Tron phono should be being put together soon. There was a parts issue, not uncommon these days.

 

[rabski]

I definitely agree some kit is going at way overpriced when new.

This, more than anything, defines the used market. Both in terms of achieved prices and in terms of how quickly things sell.

That said, the current situation is anyone's guess. Mortgage rates through the roof, the economy in near free fall and not many weeks to Christmas means this is definitely not a sellers' market.

 

[Idlewithnodrive]

There is also the very real effect of the dwindling audience (buyers) of such kit. Once upon a time, I might have bought the next bargain to try and achieve audio nirvana but, now, after a few decades of doing so, I simply can't be arsed.

My system is plenty good enough and there are an awful lot of me's in our shrinking hi-fi community.

 

[MVJ]

There is also the very real effect of the dwindling audience (buyers) of such kit. Once upon a time, I might have bought the next bargain to try and achieve audio nirvana but, now, after a few decades of doing so, I simply can't be arsed.

My system is plenty good enough and there are an awful lot of me's in our shrinking hi-fi community.

Perfectly put sir👌🏻

 

[pmcuk]

Nelson Pass had the right idea of releasing all the circuit data of his end-of-production models under his sister entity First Watt. He is revered as a God in the world of solid state for this healthy and inspirational attitude as well as the high quality of his products.

Quite a few very high priced components have now been cloned and are available as schematics, kits and pcbs. Anyone with some degree of kit building ability - or even newbies - can clone some really good kit these days. No need to pay silly prices any more. Very healthy!

 

[dave]

I can't help suspecting the excess mortality at the moment is leading to families selling of loved one's gear, a couple of really interesting pieces have turned up at the local car boot this year.

 

[hifinutt]

2 thoughts , tron should be more well known after decades but still is not and its a crowded market

Also pre amps with no remotes sometimes stick