AudioAficionado.org - Old Hi-End Gear... What To Do?

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Old Hi-End Gear... What To Do?

I hope this question isn't too silly, but what does everyone do with their older hi-end home theatre gear? I have a few Meridian 500 series pieces (596, 568, 562) which have been sitting in storage for several years. When it was purchased it cost a fortune and now, not worth the petrol to take it to Cash Converters (such is the evolution of digital equipment).

What do you do with it? Keep it because it cost you so much money, eBay (although not 100% sure on the working condition), give it away, pawn it? Its sad to give away something that once was state-of-the-art.

Thoughts... :scratch2:

I keep mine! My Vintage Fisher 800c, Mcintosh MC275 C22 and Audio Research d-150

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5FhjrHY2Qo

Try to find a true music lover/musician who needs a good system, and cannot afford new gear...(struggling young person raising a family). Gift them your gear, or sell it to them for pennies on the dollar. Leaving it in storage where it is worthless (items never used are rather worthless to society). I would have loved to own great gear when I was consumed with music in my early years, spending hundreds of hours transposing and playing along to records, all to a Magnavox console :(

I concur with the above.

Have to look at it as a sunk cost - in that the amount originally paid is irrecoverable for all practical purposes.

It would be a fine gesture to give it to someone who appreciates the equipment and who will get the most out of it.

If there was the slightest chance of becoming valuable over time, I might suggest differently but I just don't see it happening with majority of HT equipment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobie1dog (Post 848002)

hobie1dog.......I agree with you about gear you no longer want or use as long as it isn't a component with a decent resale value that can easily be converted into usable capital for another audio purchase.

Five years ago I gave my neighbor an entire home theater setup when I began upgrading mine. It included a Yamaha surround receiver, JBL and Infinity speakers, a subwoofer, and a Pioneer DVD player. I helped him install it in his living room where he and his wife still enjoy it today. Every time I visit them I am pleased to see the system still working.

I gave away my old pair of JBL L100's to my brother years ago, and to another friend I gave two Blu-ray players, one of them passed along just a couple weeks ago. It is fun to know the gear will continue to make someone happy.

I do the same with old computers. I wipe the hard drives clean, reinstall the operating system and give them away. I have given two computers with printers and monitors to local churches, and two other computers, printers and monitors to friends in need. It is better to do that than to see this stuff in a landfill, and helping someone else is rewarding.

A couple years ago AA member Gary Protein gave me a McIntosh MA230 integrated amplifier that had belonged to his father. Gary had stored the MA230 in his basement for 30 years. He read a post I made about lamenting selling an MA230 back in the 70's and offered the integrated amplifier to me as a gift. Giving and receiving is great fun.

Great stories of gifting gear Dan, I'm proud of you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobie1dog (Post 848002)

This is exactly what I do with only one addition. Give it to a young music lover that cannot afford gear in hopes of getting them involved in our hobby. Then when they advance their career they buy new gear.

Currently the owner of my stereo shop is looking for some deserving individual / budding audiophile to hand my old pre amp to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdandy (Post 848011)

hobie1dog.......I agree with you about gear you no longer want or use as long as it isn't a component with a decent resale value that can easily be converted into usable capital for another audio purchase.

Five years ago I gave my neighbor an entire home theater setup when I began upgrading mine. It included a Yamaha surround receiver, JBL and Infinity speakers, a subwoofer, and a Pioneer DVD player. I helped him install it in his living room where he and his wife still enjoy it today. Every time I visit them I am pleased to see the system still working.

I gave away my old pair of JBL L100's to my brother years ago, and to another friend I gave two Blu-ray players, one of them passed along just a couple weeks ago. It is fun to know the gear will continue to make someone happy.

I do the same with old computers. I wipe the hard drives clean, reinstall the operating system and give them away. I have given two computers with printers and monitors to local churches, and two other computers, printers and monitors to friends in need. It is better to do that than to see this stuff in a landfill, and helping someone else is rewarding.

A couple years ago AA member Gary Protein gave me a McIntosh MA230 integrated amplifier that had belonged to his father. Gary had stored the MA230 in his basement for 30 years. He read a post I made about lamenting selling an MA230 back in the 70's and offered the integrated amplifier to me as a gift. Giving and receiving is great fun.

Great stories Dan. I change my work computers ever three years and hand the old ones out as well. Some still in use 5 years after I gave them away.

I'm sure all of us eh-hem, "more mature members" have had the problem of what to do with older high end equipment for some time.

I keep all my older stuff. I use it in my living room system and it gets played when I want music in the house but am not sitting and listening and when we have company.