Buying second hand speakers - worth it?

allen

I have never bought a second hand speaker before, but now considering it.

 Not sure whether it's worth it vs getting a new one. Might be irrational, but how would I know if the speaker was damaged or anything when it arrived? 

 What are the pros and cons of getting a speaker second hand off ebay or somewhere? and how would I inspect it?

ICBM

Damage is certainly a risk, both from previous use and from shipping if not packed well, but you have the same protection on Ebay as with any other item - if it’s faulty, Ebay will almost always side with the buyer. Or buy from someone with a good reputation on here.

You may not always save a lot because the shipping cost is quite significant relative to the value of most speakers - they’re quite large and usually heavy - but you can still save some money.

When it arrives, check it over carefully for any visible damage. Ideally it should be packed in a proper manufacturer’s speaker box, but any box of the right size will do if it stops the speaker moving around and there’s a fairly rigid sheet across the front of the cone. If it looks OK, lie it on its back and gently push the cone in, with even pressure on both sides of the centre cap - if it moves smoothly and silently without scraping noises, it’s probably OK.

You can check the voice coil with a PP3 battery - touch the two battery terminals to the speaker terminals (you might need something metal like a knife blade or screwdriver to bridge the gap if they’re too far apart), and the speaker should ‘pop’ fairly loudly and the cone move. Don’t leave the battery connected for any longer than just to see this happen, it’s not good for either of them.

Winny_Pooh

I've bought quite a few, great deals anb broken in speakers sound great (I had a pair of Webers that took 20+ hours to break in, very harsh before then).
Plus, older Celestions often are better, and apparently vintage Jensens are way better.

p90fool

I bought a used speaker from @Del_Preston on here recently and it's fantastic. 

I think it depends on who you're dealing with and the impression they give during comms. 

munckee

I've bought several from here and never had an issue and broken in is better as far as I can tell.

Cirrus

I've bought most of the speakers that have been through my hands used, and the vast majority have been totally fine. Off the top of my head I've probably had 30 or 40 second hand speakers of all vintages through my hands in the last 15 years, and had three issues - two had coil rub, and one just... was missing some low end. Worked fine, just didn't kick the way it should have. In all cases the sale was protected and I got my money back.

I've actually had more issues with new speakers.

Supportact

I've bought second hand speakers on here before with success. It's the kind of thing people try out and then sell on. I've only ever bought them from forum members and collected them in person though which removes a lot of the uncertainty. As @p90fool says best to be aware of who you are buying from, but so far I've only had good experiences. 

Boromedic

Yeah, I can second the above thoughts. I've had a number of used speakers on here and they've all been excellent speakers.

Check the seller and buy with the same confidence as you would if you were buying a pedal or guitar or whatever.

allen

Thanks for the input people. 

 It was on ebay and I think it has just sold - plus the seller didn't have 100% feedback so I might have dodged a bullet there.

Bygone_Tones

I buy speakers a lot on Ebay. It is very, very risky. Especially loose ones. There are 2 main problems. The 1st one is that people are clueless about packing them - so expect them to arrive damaged. The 2nd one is that people are clueless about testing them - expect them to have coil rub or some other problem, especially if they are vintage speakers.

Ideally buy them locally and pick them up in person. That way you can check them over yourself, and you can take them home yourself. That's the best way to buy them.

allen

Sounds very sensible. And I was only going to save £50 or something so might as well avoid the whole issue and buy a new one.

andyman

I've bought through here and had no issues.

Buying through other classifieds is a minefield. I like the idea that it's probably already broken in, but feel like it's a lot harder to detect issues with speakers.

Yorkie

I’ve bought three speakers on eBay: two ok, one DOA — but seller replaced that one, as it had come out of a 2x12. 

As with all things eBay, usual warnings apply. 

slacker

I bought and sold a speaker on here. Both collected in person no issues. 

pluckbuddy

I've bought probably 30+ used speakers on ebay, reverb and maybe here too and never had any issues (other than an abnormal and probably unhealthy interest in speakers)

I'm generally pretty careful though in checking photos and listings and don't generally buy anything too old. Maybe I've also been lucky though. 

The only speakers I had to get repaired were two old Jensens and JBLs but it was quite obvious from the pictures and the price reflected their condition. I knew what I was buying and factored in the cost of a recone. 

theatreanchor

I tend to always buy used. Probably why I like relics.