DazzS Posted April 16 Posted April 16 Hi folks, I've been looking into getting a new amp and have recently come across a place in Melbourne (Excel HiFi) that sells refurbished gear and is an authorised reseller of brands like Yamaha, onkyo etc. I'd not previously thought about buying refurbished gear (having onl bought new or via the classifieds here) and have no experience doing so. I had assumed that refurbished meant gear that is used but reconditioned/serviced, however Excel's website indicates there gear isn't 2nd hand but rather contains stuff like returns, overstocked or discontinued, damaged boxes etc. Some of their prices look pretty good so I'm tempted to give them a try, but would appreciate any buying advice - either specific to Excel or to refurbished gear more generally (note that I don't live anywhere near Melbourne so visiting the store myself wouldn't be an option). Cheers folks.
DazzS Posted April 16 Author Posted April 16 Website says: "All refurbished product sold by Excel Hi-Fi has been supplied by the manufacturer once it has been stringently inspected and tested. All accessories supplied with new product is included with refurbished purchases. All Refurbished Product is covered by a limited manufacturers warranty". So it varies by manufacturer. For Yamaha it says 12 months which seems reasonable to me.
cafe67 Posted April 16 Posted April 16 1 minute ago, DazzS said: Website says: "All refurbished product sold by Excel Hi-Fi has been supplied by the manufacturer once it has been stringently inspected and tested. All accessories supplied with new product is included with refurbished purchases. All Refurbished Product is covered by a limited manufacturers warranty". So it varies by manufacturer. For Yamaha it says 12 months which seems reasonable to me. Should okay then - refurbed can be demo gear put back in the box and sent back, end of line gear sent back to make way for the new models. 1
Jakeyb77_Redux Posted April 16 Posted April 16 (edited) Excel is an excellent place to buy from. The owner is ex Yamaha and they have great customer service. They also offer excellent refurbed warranty. A lot of gear can just be damaged carton gear etc. it’s not all broken and fixed second hand gear. In Australia once something has been opened for whatever reason it can no longer be sold as new and is often sold as refurbished. I’ve bought a few items from them over the years and always been happy. Edited April 16 by Jakeyb77_Redux 2
DazzS Posted April 16 Author Posted April 16 5 minutes ago, Jakeyb77_Redux said: Excel is an excellent place to buy from. The owner is ex Yamaha and they have great customer service. They also offer excellent refurbed warranty. A lot of gear can be can just be damaged carton gear etc. it’s not all broken and fixed second hand gear. In Australia once something has been opened for whatever reason it can no longer be sold as new and is often sold as refurbished. Ah that's awesome to know because I decided to pull the trigger on a refurbished yamaha as501! 2
stevoz Posted April 16 Posted April 16 3 hours ago, DazzS said: Ah that's awesome to know because I decided to pull the trigger on a refurbished yamaha as501! Ooh.....nice!
mbz Posted April 18 Posted April 18 Doubtful that such "modern" gear would need any sort of refurb, more likely these are repairs and other returns, not a concern since warranty provided and you are happy with the discounted price. Some of the modern day yamahas have protection issues caused by failed caps/resistors (= extremely minor issues), once repaired those amps would be good for years. I tinker with vintage, amps like the CA-1000/-1010/-2010, these are about 50years old, they need some degree of refurb and repair to get the best out of them. 1
DazzS Posted April 18 Author Posted April 18 This is what their website says about its refurbished products: "Examples of refurbished product include: Product that has been returned to the manufacturer due to the outer packaging being damaged, marked or blemished. New stock that has become obsolete or overstocked can be deemed refurbished. Manufacturers warehouse carton damaged product. Product returned from retailers due to excess stock or perceived defect. Refurbished product sold by Excel Hi-Fi is not second hand or used" 1
Kaynin Posted April 19 Posted April 19 Plenty of positive feedback from experienced members, you'll be right with it. When it's all set up let us know if it's all good.
DazzS Posted April 19 Author Posted April 19 10 minutes ago, Kaynin said: Plenty of positive feedback from experienced members, you'll be right with it. When it's all set up let us know if it's all good. Thanks mate. Will do. 1
075Congo Posted April 19 Posted April 19 I bought a "second-hand" Audio Research Integrated Amp here in the SNA Classifieds over 18 months ago. The Seller is a very skilled technician who designs and constructs all manner of electronics so I was satisfied that the amp had been thoroughly checked. The amp has performed faultlessly and has offered me a component I could not have afforded new. Buying refurbished components is an excellent choice for 1)$$ saving and 2)accessing a higher level of audio component. Warranty is important but is often very limited in its application (read the fine print). 1
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