Buying used vs. new power amp and receiver?

[DanH12]

At some point down the road I want to buy a receiver with pre-outs and a power amp. Buying both together new would be very expensive and I see that I can save quite a bit of money buying these items used. When buying a receiver with pre-outs or pre-amp and a power amp for home theater, is it better to buy these items used or new? I don't make a lot of money and it would take a long time to save up buying these items new.

 

[j_garcia]

Receiver can be hit or miss because there are more things that can go wrong, but a quality amp can last quite a long time if not abused. If current features don't matter to you, then maybe look at open box or last year's model for receivers and a used amp.

 

[Adam]

Buying used can save good money, but try to do it low risk. If you buy used, confirm that you can return it before buying. I recently bought a used amp that was listed as being in perfect condition. It did look very good, but it had electrical problems. I bought from a positively rated seller on Audiogon, but he refused to accept a return even on a defective item (which was conveyed after I got it and it had problems). I'm currently trying to get the charges reversed on my credit card. Had it worked, it would have been a great deal.

I also bought a pair of used speakers on eBay that work great and were a nice deal.

So, just be smart about it, and used can work out great.

 

[DanH12]

I have seen many good deals for 5 channel power amps on ebay from reputable brands. I think I would be safe no matter what on ebay because of their free buyer protection policy.

 

[agarwalro]

I got a Parasound HCA 2205A on CL (for a steal), used it for a while and sold it (for a profit ).

I had the seller's phone number and e-mail address, but never called on him (I had the amp for 3 years).
I gave the buyer my phone number and e-mail address, but have not heard from him since the sale.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

What is your budget for amp + AVR?

Yeah, I think the risk for used amps is a lot less than used AVRs.

For AVRs, I would not even buy refurbished. I would buy something like a Denon 3312 for $493 as used open box from Amazon Warehouse and get the 3 yr Denon full warranty. It's like walking into your local Best Buy store and buying an open box AVR that was returned.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004Z50L6E/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1356014364&sr=8-1&keywords=Denon+3312&condition=used

That deal will NOT LAST! Open box Denon 3312 (MSRP $1200), 3 yr warranty. Will not last.

 

[slipperybidness]

Used amp, good idea. The technology really hasn't changed (A/B class at least) in the last ~20-30 years. I have a used parasound that I payed about $450 for, it went for $2000 new.

Used AVR.....not for me. The AVR tech changes pretty quickly. I would consider last year's model at a discount however.