Unable to audition used speakers a problem

I can understand why buyers might want to audition, but for when I'm a seller it's a major inconvenience to offer an audition. A trail would be completely out of the question. One of the reasons prices are so low on Audiogon is because as private sellers we do not have to offer the services that a dealer typically provides. It cost serious amounts of time to provide an audition. Plus you'll always have those people who just aren't serious buyers. Why invite them into your house? If someone does their homework, it shouldn't be a big deal not to have an audition.

I guess another way to approach the issue is to acknowledge the market forces at play. If it helps make a difficult sale, then an audition may give the seller the edge they need to get the sale done. Alternatively, a buyer could use the audition as a opportunity to further negotiate the price. Lastly, if a buyer really needs an audition, they could always offer to pay a premium to get it.

You can certainly ask to audition, but based on the above it is legit to refuse. On the other hand, the seller sends the speakers out the door without the hassle of shipping them and wondering what might happen during shipment or what dumb thing the buyer does as he un-packs them and hooks them up.

I suspect a buyer with exceptional feed-back and thoughtful discussion forum comments should be able to talk his way into an audition as this would not be a total 'stranger' anymore.

Being from a small town originally, I am generally trusting of strangers who share a common interest with me. My wife, who is a native of Los Angeles, is not so trusting.

I am usually open to allowing auditions to local buyers, but my wife is less so. Considering our house was robbed several years ago, I can see her point.

As always, whatever is mutually agreeable to the seller and buyer is fine with us, but as a geneal rule "used" market is different.

It is a dealer's full-time job to wait for customers and provide them with auditions, to help them decide what they like. He also charges a premium for it. A private once-in-a-blue-moon seller is hardly equipped with time or resources to do so.

I can see an exception being made if I were buying/selling a very expensive piece, but in general I would neither offer nor expect auditions in routine transactions of used equipment.

Speakers are unlike a piece of furniture that you can inspect in a few minutes. Imagine what an imposition it is on the seller's family and their private life if each potential "buyer", often someone just interested in hearing that model, spent a whole evening listening to his favorite cd's in their living room.

So, no cigar. :-) I must tell you gently but clearly that you don't have a good case. If you want audition, find a dealer and pay the price. This is not a game to be played at the expense of a family's private life, already under attack in our soceity from jobs, schools, and many other demands.

>Prefer to audition because IMO speakers are more difficult to evaluate than other gear when they have not been heard.<

Rockdanny,

I see your point, BUT, the speakers in question (any speakers, really) are not going to sound the same in YOUR room with YOUR equipment as they did at the previous owner's home. You strike me as someone who puts little credence in the importance of front end equipment. Hell, my son has an old pair of Polk Monitor 7s in his bedroom that I can make sound fantastic in my big rig. Do they sound that great in his system? No, only average.

Ok, now let's say you have taken ALL your components to the seller's house. Better, but still no cigar. Room acoustics will also drastically change the sound. So either you end up buying a great pair of speakers that sound like crap in YOUR room, or you pass up a great pair because they sounded like crap in HIS room. That's a no win situation if ever there was one.

I agree with what was mentioned before. Buy the best speaker you can for your $$ on the used market and sell it on the used market if it doesn't cut it for you. Beyond that, only buy from a dealer if he lets you bring them home first, or you feel confident that your environment will be better suited to said speakers. In the end, this type of dilemma is what keeps Agon flourishing.

Oz