Ex Display Speakers - Are they a risky buy?

[admin_exported]

Hi folks,

I'm just days away from purchasing my first proper hifi - Rega Brio R, Rega Apollo R and Spendor A3 but when checking out Sevenoaks clearance section I found the Spendor's £200 off from the shop new price.

Is it risky buying ex display? should I pay full price and go brand spanking new?

 

[Anonymous]

So long as they come with normal warranty then go for it. Perhaps just have a close check on the drivers first (I once saw a pair of ex-dem with a badly dented tweeter).

 

[chebby]

Less risky than buying a sealed box.

At least you know they work before you get them home, and any 'running in' has already been done for you. (So what you hear is what they really sound like.)

The warranty will be unaffected. No risk there either.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends on the type of dealer I guess.

I'd always be a bit cautious with chain-type shops (Richer, Sevenoaks etc) only from the perspective that (generally) their stock would tend to be used that bit more, and maybe some times with amps that are not entirely suitable. Plus they may be "man-handled" more by the man on the street.

If you are picking them up yourself (rather than mail ordering - and if you're mail ordering tut tut! listen to the gear before buying!) you can always check them over.

One extra note, I would listen to a few different Spendors (if you've settled on Spendor that is), I found the A Series to be a bit "safe" sounding. Their Classic Series tends to be just as refined but have more pace and involvement in comparison. I wouldn't go beyond the baby Classics (nor beyond the A3) because the Brio R is not good enough to warrant it.

Plus have you considered better balancing the system? You could get the Rega RS3 speakers and use the left over money to get the Rega DAC as well. The RS3s undoubtedly are a more mid-forward sounding speaker, but they are wholly more communicative and the addition of the DAC would greatly improve the sound of the Apollo R.

 

[Anonymous]

Plus with Spendor (unlike many other ..err.. "british" brands), they are hand assembled and tested and auditioned prior to shipping. I can't imagine they'd let a pair out of the factory in anything other than top condition.

(I've had experience of chinese made british branded speakers that had crossovers/screws/magnets! loose in the cabinet upon opening!)

 

[John Duncan]

For the same reason I'd rather have a one-year old car, I'd rather have some ex-dems than new...

 

[Paul.]

My BR5s were demo stock from sevenoaks in Bristol, sounded great, saved 20%, was great.

 

[plastic penguin]

I'd rather buy ex-dem or s/hand from a dealer than use auction sites. At least, if anything does wrong, you have a warranty.

 

[richardw42]

My last two pairs of speakers have been ex demo and were both in mint condition. A couple of good things is that any manufacturing niggles can be dis counted and they've been run in. So as long as you have confidence in the retailer and warranty. Ex demos are good value and way of getting a better speaker than you might.

Eg. My piano black GS10s were £590. In perfect condition too.

Must admit, I'd be thinking about Rega speakers with that amp.

 

[acalex]

Ex demo forever. You can get up to 30% discount (and on several thousands eur speakers make a difference), it is basically a new product (it depends on the dealer of course), you are assured it works and it comes with same warranty as a new product. Only advantages. S/hand is a bit different as it really depends on the owner...and usually there is no warranty anymore

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

It would depend on the dealer. If you can view before hand and assess the condition you can determine if the price is fair.

 

[Anonymous]

Seems I'm a bit different to most people here then!

But I whole heartedly agree that ex dem is massively more appealing than buying 2nd hand through an auction site!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Seems I'm a bit different to most people here then!

But I whole heartedly agree that ex dem is massively more appealing than buying 2nd hand through an auction site!!!

 

[Anonymous]

I got a display pair of Bx2's, they work fine and they came with 2 year warranty....

 

[Gerrardasnails]

As said before, great discounts can be had. My speakers were used for a show (Bristol) I think and were perfect condition and I got them about £700 off because of it!

 

[noogle]

I buy my gear both from a major online auction site and a second-hand dealer (Tom Tom) and have had nothing but excellent experiences.

 

[Anonymous]

Ex-display gear, and 2nd hand gear purchased from a reputable dealer can be great value, and presents very little risk as others have stated. None of my #1 system components were bought new. The ES30s were ex demo, I think £1700 reduced from £2500, the Wadia and Muse amps are all second hand (all for the same price as a new 861). Bought it all from KJ West One in London. The transparent interconnect was bought off Ebay, only the speaker cables were bought new but that's because such cables are difficult to find second hand at the length you need.

 

[6th.replicant]

Less risky than buying a sealed box.

At least you know they work before you get them home, and any 'running in' has already been done for you. (So what you hear is what they really sound like.)

The warranty will be unaffected. No risk there either.

+1

Although the speakers will probably still need some running-in if they're the type that need 100+ hours - but who cares?

 

[DandyCobalt]

And also consider "factory-refurbished" for certain brands - usually kit that has had a minor issue when first released, but which has had a thorough going over by the factory technicians, and comes in a sealed box with full warranty.

I've saved a lot (30-40%) on Cyrus (via Moorgate Acoustics - great customer service) and Apple products (laptops and ipods) via Apple's own online refurb store.

Perhaps even less of a chance of being faulty out of the box than a brand new one ?

 

[SteveR750]

How about ex em "pristine" condition with about 30 hours use D18s for £1300? RRP is £2200 ish, that's a huuuge saving. They still have the full waranty, and if they don't match the sellers description then Long distance selling regs mean you can return within 7 days. For me it's a no brainer, but then I'd buy privately sold used hifi, you just have to be careful and make sure you check out the seller and buy on your terms wherever possible.

 

[Helmut80]

How about ex em "pristine" condition with about 30 hours use D18s for £1300?

Care to share a link?

 

[SteveR750]

How about ex em "pristine" condition with about 30 hours use D18s for £1300?

Care to share a link?

I can't. They are on a van out for delivery. To my house; and in the next 30 minutes I hope......

Though if I hadn't found them, I'd have hit the BIN for these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200702266477?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_1203

 

[Helmut80]

ooh, nice! Just bought a pair of 2 year old D28s in mahagony for £1500

 

[albireo]

I've had a bad experience when purchasing an ex-display pair of speakers from a well known seller's website.

The speakers were a pair of Dali bookshelves. The ad said nothing else than "perfect, like new boxed etc" while the photo was unfortunately only a stock photo. I did phone the marketing guy who reassured me again that everything was indistinguishable from new so I didn't fret too much about having seen no pictures. My fault I know, but if a "reputable" seller tells you that all is perfect, well.. :roll:

When I got them and opened them everything seemed alright until I noticed that the brand badge on one of the speakers had been glued upside down. Now, I KNOW it's a meaningless asthetical gitch however:

-this badge is quite large and visible at all times (not covered by grilles)

-I would have appreciated a honest and reputable seller to inform a customer of this sort of things, given that I had asked specifically "are there any imperfections, etc"

-in case I had decided to sell the speakers one day, their resale value would have been smaller than normal - as there are some people who care about these details.

Therefore I decided to return them. Unfortunately, getting my money back was bit of an odyssey. Needless to say, I will never deal with this lot again.

Bottom line, I'd say - just like on ebay, even with ex-display items bought online always DEMAND to see pictures and ask to be specific about the item condition prior to taking your decision.

 

[Anonymous]

Bought my Vienna Acoustics from Sevenoaks ex dem. £1000 off! Would never have been able to afford them otherwise. They were immaculate and well looked after. Hadn't even been out of the shop. Totally recommend buying ex dem, have a good look at them first to make sure they are 100%.