I started out pretty high on the audiophile spectrum in the early 70s, with a Tandberg-Tandberg-Thorens-Bozak system. It's been all down-hill from there from an audio point of view.
Now I've got three rooms filled with old stereo gear, acquired free from relatives, in various states of decrepitude and failure.
Time for a change. I'm starting my audio upgrade in my office, where I spend most of my music-listening time. I still have the Bozak speakers and Thorens turntable, both of which I'm inclined to keep. I'd like to add a receiver (or amp/pre-amp pair), a CD player (single disc is fine), and a cassette deck (I have a big collection of well-recorded Maxell tapes). I'm not interested in more channels than two. I'd like to spend something like $300-500 on these items to round out my office stereo system.
The first question is whether to try to buy used or new equipment. I presume that advances in audio gear and in particular the spread of 5+ channel audio has moved a considerable amount of used 2 channel equipment into the market for purchase, so it's possible that good value can be found in the used market.
But I've got no relevant experience in this area any more -- I last bought gear in the 1970s -- so this is no more than a theory. I'd appreciate hearing the advice of others on the pluses and minuses of the used versus new equipment routes.
I started out pretty high on the audiophile spectrum in the early 70s, with a Tandberg-Tandberg-Thorens-Bozak system. It's been all down-hill from there from an audio point of view.
Now I've got three rooms filled with old stereo gear, acquired free from relatives, in various states of decrepitude and failure.
Time for a change. I'm starting my audio upgrade in my office, where I spend most of my music-listening time. I still have the Bozak speakers and Thorens turntable, both of which I'm inclined to keep. I'd like to add a receiver (or amp/pre-amp pair), a CD player (single disc is fine), and a cassette deck (I have a big collection of well-recorded Maxell tapes). I'm not interested in more channels than two. I'd like to spend something like $300-500 on these items to round out my office stereo system.
The first question is whether to try to buy used or new equipment. I presume that advances in audio gear and in particular the spread of 5+ channel audio has moved a considerable amount of used 2 channel equipment into the market for purchase, so it's possible that good value can be found in the used market.
But I've got no relevant experience in this area any more -- I last bought gear in the 1970s -- so this is no more than a theory. I'd appreciate hearing the advice of others on the pluses and minuses of the used versus new equipment routes.