Should I buy secondhand...?

[admin_exported]

I've just found the following items secondhand in a local shop but have no idea whether they represent good value for money. Any advice?

Cambridge CD D100 (£59)

Cambridge T500 (35)

Cambridge C500 & P500 (£99)

 

[fatboyslimfast]

If the £99 is for both the C and P500s, then that could be reasonable value. But you can get other amps for similar money, that could beat them. Audiolab 8000A, Cyrus 2, Arcam Alpha 9 etc..

As for the tuner and CD, not so sure...

 

[plastic penguin]

Would I be right to say this wasn't a hi-fi/electrical shop? If so, be careful, especially with CD players. Also d'you know what the Cambridge sounds like? Chances are you get the system up and running and it may not be to your taste.

If possible go a retailer, like Audio-T or Sevenoaks Sound & Vision and see what end of line stuff they have in stock. . . .and matches your budget, of course.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this advice - I think I'll probably leave it. I just didn't want to miss out on a great bargain...

 

[Anonymous]

The amps are probably worth a punt - I have the P500 in a Bi-Amp config with an Azur 540a and it's a really nice sound. Make them an offer. I'd imagine even a cheap modern DVD player would better the CD though...

 

[the record spot]

If you like the Cambridge pre-power combo, then give it a listen and see what you think. For £99 you probably can't get anywhere near anything similar for a few pounds after that (pre-power I mean). However, that will get you on the way to a good integrated, but the choice is yours.

I'd definitely recommend secondhand gear but shop carefully and do your research. Caveat emptor and all that...!

 

[Hi Fi Decision]

I would definitely buy second hand provided you are familiar with the equipment and like it. It can be easy to tell if its looked after because the owner generally has the boxes, manuals etc. Another tip is to ask whether they have had the system from new rather than just buying and selling gear. For one system in my house I picked up a Meridian 506.24 for £391and Meridian 551 for £235 connected by a Chord Chorus interconnect for £80. Build is bullet proof and the system sounds sensational. Would have cost around £2300 for those 3 items from new and cost me around £700.

 

[Pike900fish]

Absolutely agree with Hi Fi Decision on this one.

Have recently upgraded most of my kit with either secondhand, discontinued new or "B" stock items.

If you're prepared to pick up a model that was all the rage a few years previous but has since been outshone buy new breeds then you're sure to pick up a bargain..I mean, is it better to buy the latest peice of kit with say a £250 budget for £250 or a £500 "B" stock/New item that's not the latest model for the same £250 budget?

I'd go with the older, initially more expensive model, every time as you should IMO get better sound for your £

What do others think?

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

I've bought loads of hi-fi off E-Bay for great prices and I've not been dissapointed. Used them for a bit and then re-sold all of them for a nice profit.

 

[scorps]

End of day u can get some very nice bargains 2nd hand have recently just bought myself a replacement setup.

pair of proac studio 200s, exposure 18 monoblocs, and densen beat 200 pre amp and am highly delighted with my purchases

as long as u have an idea of what you want it can b fun bartering with people and can end up with some serious bargains suppose a good example was a pair of kef reference 3s that i saw recently on ebay which sold for £700 giving u a huge saving

all i need to do now is find some nice bargains on interconnect n speaker cable and im a happy man again