Is it wise to buy used equipements ?

[gafadi]

hey guys, im looking for some Studio monitors but unfortunately my pocket doesnt go that deep , i have a $200 budget. I can find some pretty good box. But i found a deal , a used KRK rokit 8's generation 1.

Is it wise to buy used equipements ?

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more info :

This is the rokit im about to buy



The look very neat for 3-4 years, im going to his place tomorrow to check out the monitor.

But there is one problem , i've never used studio monitor before so i've no idea what its suppose to sound like or whats the feature. What would be some common test that can be done ?

 

[The Cancers]

Check some forums for whether the item you're looking at has any reliability problems. Don't ask around, just search the name and see if you see any/many "help, my <product name here> just stopped working for no reason!" threads. Read those and see whether they were user error or product defects.
See if there are any common problems and whether they are an easy fix.

That done and no red flags, do not buy them without a) hearing the actual set of monitors you are buying to ensure they work or b) receiving an absolute guarantee that they work as advertised and can be returned with no cost to you if they do not.

Then the only difference between the used product and a new one is a couple years of use and no manufacturers warranty.
But with your research and guarantee, neither of those should be a problem.

 

[frederic]

I buy (and sell) used equipment all the time, mostly on eBay, sometimes I find neat stuff at garage sales, the surplus market, etc.. Overall, I've had great success with all this - only one issue where the seller sold me a JBL 4-channel compressor and "coincidentally" the US postman removed the item from the box, and placed an equal-weight rock in the box and taped it close. The seller even had video of him putting the item in the box and taping it shut!

And no, the Postmaster General didn't buy it either ;-)

 

[gafadi]

Lol with the rock story , maybe he removed the equipment and then placed the rock after the video.

This is the rokit im about to buy



The look very neat for 3-4 years, im going to his place tomorrow to check out the monitor.

But there is one problem , i've never used studio monitor before so i've no idea what its suppose to sound like or whats the feature. What would be some common test that can be done ?

 

[Kingofpain678]

YES! It is wise to buy used gear.


Check the item you're buying out, make sure it works 100% as well as you think it should.
Say you pay 50$ for something that would cost 100$ brand new, If you decide you don't like that item or you would like to try something else you would be able to sell your item for 50$
Now, if you bought it used for 50$ you will get your money back AND the experience of having/using that item.
If you bought it brand new, you just lost 50$


Craigslist is your best friend.

Not to mention if you buy a piece of gear that has been a little abused you could give it some tlc and actually get some extra cash out of it.

 

[Dr. Varney]

If you want to get your hobby up and running fast and want to have the most fun without breaking the bank, yes - I think it's a great idea.

If you're trying to make it as a professional, then it would probably be better to buy new and offset it against your tax. Reliability would mean the difference between make or break in such a situation.

I have built my entire rig out of second hand parts - pretty much all the way. I wanted it fast, cheap and easy and that's what I got. If you shop around and read reviews before buying then you should do alright.

The gear I use to make my living is a different matter. I buy everything brand new (apart from a rare airbrush which is discontinued, so no choice but to buy 2nd hand). My business is not music though - recording is just my hobby so I can afford to experiment and play around (even fix where possible) old gear.

Be careful on Ebay. Ebay isn't the last word in the second hand market though. There are many more second hand sources to add to your chances of success. I personally use somethng in the UK called 'Cash Converters'. It's a 2nd hand/bankrupt stock merchant chain and you probably have something like it in your own country.

A friend of mine has promised to help me get into a police auction one day. That might be fun and the things he thinks are very prevalent in these auctions, are professional DJing and mixing/recording equipment. So I'm excited to go along and have a nose...

Just one thing - I would not recommend buying second hand monitors, unless you have some idea of the duty they've done (such as you know the person you're buying from). Speakers are just something I prefer to buy new. You have no idea how much abuse a pair of speakers have had, just by looking at them and if you look after them, a brand new pair should last you a very long time. I just think they are an investment.

Best of luck

Dr. V

 

[gafadi]

..............

 

[DuddyGuy]

Krk's are generally well regarded... I have a set of rokit 5's of the same generation. They've been reliable and work quite well in my opinion. Slightly lacking in the low end and Im not too sure of the accuracy of the mids but for entry level gear bang for buck I don't think you can do better than krk's or behringer truth's... and the krk's probably are more accurate and more reliable. So I would say go for it.

 

[moresound]

Just listen to them real good and look them over good as well.

A little ding and I would ask the price to be $175. instead of $200.

As far as the sound goes, studio monitors are not as flattering as home stereo speakers ( they are more true to a flat response ) which still should not prevent you from bring your favorite cd or songs on an Ipod to *test drive* those transducers. ---call the guy and tell him that is what you intend to do so as he doesn't have them all boxed up and ready to go.
Songs that you know how exactly they are suppose to sound, then drive the monitors maybe just a little hard and listen to see if they *fart* ....... and if there is any break up in the audio sound from the monitors at all, .......you most defiantly should pass on the deal.

The last thing you want is to be dealing with someone else's problems.

 

[gafadi]

yea im going down to his place to test it , its just that i've no idea whats the diffrence. Ill do some research and stuff i guess.

 

[Dr. Varney]

anyone care to comment on the item i posted about and my question

You asked if it is wise to buy used 'equipements'.

What's your problem.

Dr. V

 

[gafadi]

You asked if it is wise to buy used 'equipements'.

What's your problem.

Dr. V

Sorry if that sounded like little rude, when i posted that i hadent posted about the KRK and their pics up there. It was like below other post. I added it later. I wanted to know how can i know the sound difference in krk and regular speakers.

 

[moresound]

That will come in time ..........If they work they work, just test drive them as I mentioned and listen for *farting* or a geeeer sound from the speakers. That will let you know if they are blown.

 

[Dr. Varney]

What do you mean by 'regular speakers'? Do you mean the difference between active and passive monitors?

I'm sorry but I'm not sure if I understand the question fully, but I will try my best. If you want to know what something sounds like - you have to listen to it. If you like it and you trust the guy, then buy it. If not, don't.

I think the only 'common test' available to you in this precise situation is whether you like the sound. If they're broke, they'll sound like shit but I don't think that's very likely.

I should add - speakers match up with amps and rooms on paper but the only way you can decide if they match in a way that is pleasing to your ears, is to listen. Ideally you need to hear them on your own amp, from your own source - and in the room you intend to use them. If this isn't allowed by the seller then you have to take the chance and, given that studio monitors, as opposed to home hi-fi speakers, are built to sound neutral, all you can do is hope and trust, on the strength of the brand name/model's reputation for clarity.

If you can't audition them on your own turf, then you will have to accept that as the trade off for getting them cheap. If you trust the name, you like the price and the condition, then you're in with a bargain. If you're still unsure, take your time and shop around.

Dr. V

 

[Jim Lad]

I bought a pair of Used Behringer Truths from a reputable store for $200.
I've trusted other folks too and only been let down once.

 

[gafadi]

Yea im getting them tomorrow

 

[moresound]

Great gafadi! Post what you think of them as soon as you set them up into your system.

 

[frederic]

Lol with the rock story , maybe he removed the equipment and then placed the rock after the video.

For certain. Who videotapes themselves packing a box for an ebay sale?

Like I said, the Postmaster General agreed, and this was considered in his eyes "postal mail fraud" so when the Postmaster General of the seller's state called him, I had a refund check "overnight".

To whomever mentioned Behrigner Truths - while we rag on behringer a lot (and for good reason) those monitors are actually pretty good value for dollar. I had a set for a while and once I got used to them, I really liked them despite what others said. They were very clean, even down low.

 

[grimtraveller]

For certain. Who videotapes themselves packing a box for an ebay sale?

There are some strange fetishes out there.......

To whomever mentioned Behrigner Truths - while we rag on behringer a lot (and for good reason) those monitors are actually pretty good value for dollar. I had a set for a while and once I got used to them, I really liked them despite what others said. They were very clean, even down low.

In case they were involved in an accident ?

Gafadi, I think you'll find that a great many people buy used. Dintymoore buys no other. Because opinions and needs change in this hobby so often, there's usually a good market and plentiful supply of used equipment. Even if things go wrong (and more often than not, they don't), I'd still advise it. It can save you alot of money, at least in the beginning. But it's good to be cautious, especially when you're not 100% sure what you should be looking out for. Moresound is right though - that will come with time. I once went to buy a used Hammond organ from some old man out in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night. I'd only heard the sound of a Hammond on records and when I got there, while testing the organ out, I kept thinking "this sounds kind of lame, not at all like any of those great sounds I've heard all these years". But it was late, the old man's wife seemed really nervous having me in their quaint little house and I figured that I'd be able to eventually find the sounds in the comfort of my own flat. So against my better judgement, I bought it. And it was crap. Not the organ itself (it was in mint condition). I didn't realize that Hammond made lots of different organs and that it was the C3 or B3 that I really wanted. I thought "Oh, a Hammond is a Hammond". After a couple of months of frustration, I saw an ad for one and decided to go and look at it. This time, I had a much clearer idea of what I was looking for and I found it. I bought it, had a great time with it , used it to the max and I'd still have it now but after 8 years I had to sell it as my wife was pregnant and we didn't have the room any longer. But I was richer for the experience of that first crummy Hammond.
That all said, I hope the monitors are top notch and that it works out for you.

 

[gafadi]

Yeah , the guy who im buying from is only about 20 minutes away and im going to his house to test it. So if anything wrong , i can certainly go back or something like that. But i talked to him , he said he used the monitors for making beats and mixing and took good care of his stuff , the monitors do look neat for 3-4 years of usage.

Rokit8's might be a little big for me but it might be the best i can get for my $200 so why not.