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| quote: | Originally posted by kitphillips
Lets try turning this thread around and making it somewhat helpful.
What are people's thoughts on second hand monitors?
I saw a pair of genelec midfields that were in apparently good condition go for like 2k on ebay the other day. Seemed like a good buy, but since I'm planning on moving soon I don't know if I'd have a big enough room for midfields... They were nice though... |
Great Idea. Personally, I think that it really depends on the exact make and model, some is based on reputation but thankfully I got to see first hand which break and which last when I was as service engineer.
There are some basic things to look out for with second hand speakers.
1, Kevlar or Plastic drivers can get stiff over time and can start to sound harsh or dull, so stay away from older models that have these drivers.
2, Always look at the rubber ring around the edge of the cone for cracking or warping - sign the driver has been caned and could go.
3, Smell them (I'm not joking). Speakers in smokey environments do not last as long because the smoke damages the rubber over long term exposure.
4, Push the cone in very gently and slowly to see if you feel a grating in the motion. If so the coil is often damaged or on the way out.
5, Look for discoloration or difference in color between cones - easy way to tell if a driver has been replaced, and if not both replaced at the same time they could sound slightly different.
Dynaudio's generally hold up very well and can take quite a few years of abuse without failing - I have a lot of confidence in the whole range. The only thing with them is that the tweeters can be blown but you'll know within two seconds if that's a problem. Good bet for second hand.
Mackie HR824 mk1's are tanks - I have only ever seen one blown driver and that must have just been a defective unit as it was fairly new. They don't degrade over time.
HR824 mk2 are also well built but as they are newer I don't know how they hold up over time.
Alesis M1mk2 - OK, seen quite a few with blown drivers/tweeters but that was through misuse and they don't have the same level in built protection that mackies or Dyaudios do.
Genelecs - the older ones (square) were complete tanks and the newer ones (rounded edges, 80X0 range) are really solid. The smaller 8020's I have seen suffer from misuse so be a little bit careful with those, but generally Gene's retain their value and are built well.
Behringer Truths - careful with these. Unless mint, be very wary. Often blown drivers/tweeters and becuase they're cheap and loud a lot of people misuse them for things like PA speakers. While OK build (not great) they're also not made out of the best materials can be easily damaged.
KRK - built actually quite well, pretty sturdy, can be blown, but it won't make any difference to the sound quality anyway 
Seriously, not a bad bet second hand but the kevlar driver cones do get stiff over time so stay away from older ones.
Quested - very very solid, but the tweeters on the F11's and the 2108's do go from time to time. Easy and cheap fix though.
Yamahas - NS10's (the originals not the M's) are tanks but you can still blow the drivers and some say he replcaement drivers aren't the same. You can tell if they're replacement as the new ones are whiter and the older ones have a very slight cream tone. HS80's - so Far absolute tanks and I don't know anyone who has had problems but the again they haven't been out that long. HS50's are the same deal.
I can't think of anymore popular ones off the top of my head but call em out.....
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