Selling dispute. Please comment.

The buyer is not 'unreasonable or irrational.' You said you had the manuals. Maybe he wants them in case he sells the amps at a later date, maybe, like me, he just wants the orignal equipment, boxes, packings and all else included. I lost the manual to my Nakamichi 700, got a copy from the company, but it's not the same, and I don't even buy and sell. Iif the buyer decides to take your offers that's up to him. Otherwise do the right thing. And if could be that he passed on other amps for sell just because you said you had the manuals and the other sellers did not.
Cheers.

If the manual is available from the original company,and is a printed original type copy, then those are sufficient.

My Bryston 4B-SST2 amp, And Bryston BP-26 and Bryston BP1.5 new two years ago, come only with photocpies. With a staple. Really.(cheap as Hell actually)
If the original manuals are not available, either because the company is defunct, or they will only send another photocopy, then I guess the seller is out of luck.
The buyer IS being picky, but that is his right.
(PS how then does the seller even know they weren't IN the boxes and the buying is making up stores? Far fetched yes, but still.)
Anyway, if original format owners manuals are not available from the company, You can take back the amps.
And sell them to someone way less picky!!!

I know Audio research sells original style copies of any owners manuals. As I have been sent one by a seller, and I myself purchased another to be drop shipped to the buyer of another Audio Research preamp. $15 with a phone call.

The real lesson here is to pay attention to what you are selling. If you would haved LOOKED in the boxes, this would not be costing you hundreds of dollars in shipping there and back.
And yes you have to refund 100% of his money and pay for your own return shipping. The items are NOT as advertised.
Pity, and a bit odd, a bit strange, but hey, it is what it is.
Personally i hope the guy never does find another pair of those amps in decent shape, and can cry in his pillow over his attitude about not accepting for YEARS.

Original boxes and original manuals give the product additional value. Just because a couple of people here feel it's not important to them is irrelevant. You advertised the amplifiers with original manuals and that is what the buyer paid for. However, I do not believe a set of mono amplifiers come with two manuals. If you can come up with one original manual I would consider it case closed.

Don't sweat it. Send him the best manuals you can procure and send it to him. If he complains, tell him to go pound sand...

-RW-

I wonder about the parenting style of people who raised some of the "super-finicky" snobs that want things "just so". Sounds like you made a reasonable effort to ameliorate the situation. I couldn't possibly express how vindicated I feel when I encounter one of these types that try this kind of crap when they need something from me that falls under the rubric of my area of expertise.
I am most certainly polite, uber competent and EXTREMELY expensive. :)