refurbished

[markw]

I might be a little late to the thread but I'd simply like to offer this observation:

EVERY refurbished unit started out life as a brand new, in box unit, direct from the manufacturer with the manufacturer's guarantee..

 

[TankTop5]

I’m even later to the party. I don’t know the AV industry very well but I know several other production industries and I’m guessing AV is no different.

You probably have three levels of production. First being the mass produced for big box stores, half the equipment isn’t even produced by said manufacturer and not tested at all during production. Second are the high end flagship models which may be made by the actual manufacturer and are batch tested, maybe 1 in 100 pulled from assembly and tested. Lastly is boutique manufacturers that test every one during and after production and take real pride in what they do. Category one doesn’t get refurbished, it’s so cheap you get a new one and the old one goes in the trash. Category two the manufacturer at least outsourced enough expensive components to make it worth their while to fix. In this case if it is manufacturer refurbished the it is most likely completely tested because they don’t want to loose money twice. My money is on the certified refurbished as it’s most likely completely tested unlike the other 99 on the assembly line. The third category is the boutique where you send it back and pray it doesn’t take them 3 months to fix it and return it because now you’re on their time and you’ll suck it up and wait because it’s that good. Again I buy certified refurbished stuff all the time and I’ve never been disappointed, I can’t say the same about factory new.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GrimSurfer]

I’m even later to the party. I don’t know the AV industry very well but I know several other production industries and I’m guessing AV is no different.

You probably have three levels of production. First being the mass produced for big box stores, half the equipment isn’t even produced by said manufacturer and not tested at all during production. Second are the high end flagship models which may be made by the actual manufacturer and are batch tested, maybe 1 in 100 pulled from assembly and tested. Lastly is boutique manufacturers that test every one during and after production and take real pride in what they do. Category one doesn’t get refurbished, it’s so cheap you get a new one and the old one goes in the trash. Category two the manufacturer at least outsourced enough expensive components to make it worth their while to fix. In this case if it is manufacturer refurbished the it is most likely completely tested because they don’t want to loose money twice. My money is on the certified refurbished as it’s most likely completely tested unlike the other 99 on the assembly line. The third category is the boutique where you send it back and pray it doesn’t take them 3 months to fix it and return it because now you’re on their time and you’ll suck it up and wait because it’s that good. Again I buy certified refurbished stuff all the time and I’ve never been disappointed, I can’t say the same about factory new.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This makes a great deal of sense to me! Very well laid out.

 

[lovinthehd]

I’m even later to the party. I don’t know the AV industry very well but I know several other production industries and I’m guessing AV is no different.

You probably have three levels of production. First being the mass produced for big box stores, half the equipment isn’t even produced by said manufacturer and not tested at all during production. Second are the high end flagship models which may be made by the actual manufacturer and are batch tested, maybe 1 in 100 pulled from assembly and tested. Lastly is boutique manufacturers that test every one during and after production and take real pride in what they do. Category one doesn’t get refurbished, it’s so cheap you get a new one and the old one goes in the trash. Category two the manufacturer at least outsourced enough expensive components to make it worth their while to fix. In this case if it is manufacturer refurbished the it is most likely completely tested because they don’t want to loose money twice. My money is on the certified refurbished as it’s most likely completely tested unlike the other 99 on the assembly line. The third category is the boutique where you send it back and pray it doesn’t take them 3 months to fix it and return it because now you’re on their time and you’ll suck it up and wait because it’s that good. Again I buy certified refurbished stuff all the time and I’ve never been disappointed, I can’t say the same about factory new.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are a limited number of factories for the various brands. Design quality and quality control can vary. Boutique manufacturers don't tend to do any more testing in av gear that I'm aware of (if say they contract for mfr in China and they're elsewhere, and even if they have people on site they only do so much as to component control let alone final product testing).

 

[TankTop5]

There are a limited number of factories for the various brands. Design quality and quality control can vary. Boutique manufacturers don't tend to do any more testing in av gear that I'm aware of (if say they contract for mfr in China and they're elsewhere, and even if they have people on site they only do so much as to component control let alone final product testing).

You’re probably right about boutique manufacturers, probably buy very expensive components, maybe assemble themselves and possibly have an in house manufactured component that is their claim to fame. Reminds me of a hi fi store that used to be in Walnut Creek CA, the owner would buy mid to high level equipment then modify it personally to fit the end user or his personal taste., he was quite eccentric if I remember but always friendly with a passion for what he did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lovinthehd]

You’re probably right about boutique manufacturers, probably buy very expensive components, maybe assemble themselves and possibly have an in house manufactured component that is their claim to fame. Reminds me of a hi fi store that used to be in Walnut Creek CA, the owner would buy mid to high level equipment then modify it personally to fit the end user or his personal taste., he was quite eccentric if I remember but always friendly with a passion for what he did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There have been boutique outfits (Lexicon and Ayre come to mind) that have taken units like Oppo optical disc players and put it inside fancier aluminum cases, too. Bay area guy, eh? I lived in SF for most of the last 45 years...heading back down tomorrow, too. I wouldn't consider boutique but an expression of the sales outlet these days...many electronics aren't totally in house that might get the label "boutique". Only so many factories out there...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yes, every refurbished unit was once brand new. And every BROKEN unit that needs to be repaired a few times a year was also once brand new.

It comes down to:

1. How lucky you are.
2. How reliable the brand is in the first place.
3. The design of the products. Is the design easy for techs to diagnose and replace parts or is the design extremely complex with a dozen layers of circuit boards?
4. The quality of the Repair Department (Quality Control).

If you or someone you know have experienced MULTIPLE cases where the MAIN FACTORY Repair Center cannot repair MULTIPLE units you've owned, your tolerance for Refurbished AVR will probably be extremely low.

There are always exceptions. Yes, you are taking a chance everyday when you wake up in the morning or cross the road.

But overall the odds of all refurbished AVR becoming bad is higher than the odds of all brand new AVR becoming bad. There is a good reason they give refurbished units 1YR warranty and new units 3YR warranty.

Yes, you can buy extended warranty for a refurbished unit. But if the odds are higher for failure, the refurbished units may need a lot of repairs. This means a lot of loss time for you.

Of course, you have to weigh the pros and cons and ask yourself if it is worth the risk.