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Thread: Second hand HiFi

  1. #1
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    Second hand HiFi

    I know there are a few audiophiles on here. Does anyone know any good second forums?

    Thanks


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  2. #2
    Avforums.com UK based too

  3. #3
    Master earlofsodbury's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cnjm1 View Post
    I know there are a few audiophiles on here. Does anyone know any good second forums?

    Thanks

    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
    Pink Fish is probably the biggest in the UK now, somewhat up themselves but a fairly honest lot.

    Hifi Wigwam may still be worth a look, but is a shadow of its former self and chock-full of registered brain-donors sliding around in their own drool and faeces.

    There's a tiny nest of furiously angry sociopaths called "Audio Abattoir" - but they probably won't even speak to a noob.

    Honestly, hifi forums make watch forums look (relatively) sane. Their paranoid loathing of dealers borders on actual insanity - hifi is a religious thing for them, people making money from it are the purest form of evil.

    Like watch forums, everyone overvalues mediocre Japanese tat.

    If you've never owned valve/vacuum tube amplification, just don't. That way madness lies.

    That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Forums are dying on their arse, and some of the liveliest are small one-make focused efforts of no use to the beginner.

  4. #4
    Master earlofsodbury's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eagletower View Post
    Avforums.com UK based too
    Forgot that one. Mostly thanks to the hard work of my therapist.

    Many years since I went near, and back then you needed to enjoy the warm'n'yeasty flavour of Moderator cloaca to get very far. Great place for hopelessly conflicting advice that can be distilled down to "buy what I have, so I feel better about my terrible choices". Sure it's lovely and shiny and rosy now though.

    NB: as is probably self-evident, everything I ever post about hifi should be taken as the incontinent ranting of an embittered old idiot with fingers burned down to stumps.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by earlofsodbury View Post
    Forgot that one. Mostly thanks to the hard work of my therapist.

    Many years since I went near, and back then you needed to enjoy the warm'n'yeasty flavour of Moderator cloaca to get very far. Great place for hopelessly conflicting advice that can be distilled down to "buy what I have, so I feel better about my terrible choices". Sure it's lovely and shiny and rosy now though.

    NB: as is probably self-evident, everything I ever post about hifi should be taken as the incontinent ranting of an embittered old idiot with fingers burned down to stumps.
    Thanks for the advice . I’ve come across Pink Fish before but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the name. I’ll be so out of my depth in the other ones you’ve mentioned, they would probably think I’m trolling.


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  6. #6
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    Are you buying or selling?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyman View Post
    Are you buying or selling?
    Buying , after a Naim Nova and some speakers (after some more research)


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  8. #8
    Master earlofsodbury's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cnjm1 View Post
    Buying , after a Naim Nova and some speakers (after some more research)


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    Fink Pish will be a good bet - lot of the old "flat earth" brigade there.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by cnjm1 View Post
    Buying , after a Naim Nova and some speakers (after some more research)


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    The Naim forum is decent.

  10. #10
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    I have just had a look at that site,as a member of several ultra running sites who is happy to post about nipple chaffing...they are weird!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by earlofsodbury View Post

    ................Like watch forums, everyone overvalues mediocre Japanese tat.............
    Agree with you 100%. Heresy to admit it here though.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by TomGW View Post
    Agree with you 100%. Heresy to admit it here though.
    I'm bracing for the torch-wielding mob...

    Hifi forums do out-weird every other I've ever encountered - by some margin. One I'm a member of gives a convincing impression of hating pretty much every aspect of hifi, while another, devoted to a particularly "incendiary" minor brand, existed only to obsess-over and slander every other forum, and for members to engage in gratuitous and nauseating displays of arselicking of the brand and forum owner. All that said, all forums seem to be slowly dying on their backsides as they're replaced by social meeja equivalents - now those make the worst forums looks like university debating societies...

  13. #13
    Master bazza.'s Avatar
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    I've sold a few things on PinkFish its a good and informative website for HiFi gear

  14. #14
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    Beware, just the mention of Naim can inflame some individuals on hifi forums in a similar way to Rolex on this site. There is a lot of snake oil peddled in hifi circles to be navigated. Ebay can be a good source privately plus several reputable dealers sell secondhand kit via this medium. I've bought/sold secondhand Naim and more without issue for many years on eBay (and Pinkfish) though not so much recently as I've reached the level I'm happy with. This route should be OK as you say you are doing your homework first - good luck

  15. #15
    Nothing but positive experiences both buying and selling on Pinkfish and Hifi Wigwam

    Lots of classic hifi gear holds its value really well

    I recently rebuilt a classic system for my study from used naim amps, harbeth speakers and a modded LP12 with a raspberry Pi-DAC streamer all from the wam and pinkfish

    Sounds great, and all great condition and good value

  16. #16
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    Make sure whatever you buy has some warranty left as there are known issues re volume and displays.

    They are about £4K new so think carefully before spending £2/£3k on something used that could inherit the above issues.

    I can recommend AVO, their customer service and delivery service is excellent, and they currently have a Warehouse deal on the unit you’re are looking at and offer 0% APR - https://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/...ffiliateWindow

    AVforums is perfect for used gear, a lot of people tend to keep Naim stuff though for the simple reason it is excellent.

    Get a home-demo if you can as room acoustics are what typically kill a decent system.

  17. #17
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    FYI - The Cambridge Audio CXN (£650) is also an excellent streamer (I have the v1) when paired with a decent amp (£500) and will save you a couple of grand.

  18. #18
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    I always thought the best thing about spending a lot of cash on new hifi gear was how your wife would humour you as you told her how great the sound was-I don't think mine ever made it through one track as I eulogised about it.
    A similar level of appreciation is reserved for any new watches.

  19. #19
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    Pinkfishmedia is my goto these days now the Wam has all but disappeared up its own posteria.

  20. #20
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    Pinkfish.... bought a pair of speakers only 2 days ago, met up at a MacDonalds !!

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by gavsw20 View Post
    Make sure whatever you buy has some warranty left as there are known issues re volume and displays.

    They are about £4K new so think carefully before spending £2/£3k on something used that could inherit the above issues.

    I can recommend AVO, their customer service and delivery service is excellent, and they currently have a Warehouse deal on the unit you’re are looking at and offer 0% APR - https://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/...ffiliateWindow

    AVforums is perfect for used gear, a lot of people tend to keep Naim stuff though for the simple reason it is excellent.

    Get a home-demo if you can as room acoustics are what typically kill a decent system.
    Thanks for the advice , I spotted this one and am tempted.


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  22. #22
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    Possibly gonna sound like a broken record (see what I did there), but another vote for pfm from me. Have had good experiences there both buying and selling.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by redkite View Post
    Pinkfish.... bought a pair of speakers only 2 days ago, met up at a MacDonalds !!
    The speakers did have their internals when you got home?

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by earlofsodbury View Post
    Like watch forums, everyone overvalues mediocre Japanese tat
    I have had a lot of kit over the years, but I have to say it’s very hard to find fault with the Technics Reference line of power amplification :)

  25. #25
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    This is my simple set up which I bought new years ago but can be picked up for very little now I'd expect. Teac Ref 300 with Kef floor standers (on spikes and pads). I've heard high end stuff and honestly in an average room with its acoustics at normal volumes I couldn't justify it as I wouldn't hear the benefit. My set up is crystal clear and plenty loud enough. Almost certainly after a certain age an oscilloscope might tell you there's a difference but your ears won't. What high end stuff does have is looks. Some of the kit looks amazing.


  26. #26
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    There's a set of Wilson Benesch Arc speakers for sale right here on this site, at a terrific price. I don't know that you could do better than that in any other venue. (You do want the stands, these speakers are bottom ported.) Paired with an old Audiolab or Luxman integrated amplifier, that'd be a pretty potent low buck system.

  27. #27
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    I always liked Head-fi. It has its supreme leaders like most forums but the discussions were often quite tame and lacking the hyperbole of other sites.

    Then again there was a wave of hysteria regarding over hyped, Chinese tat just before I left.

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