What do I need to watch out for when buying used equipment?

[thigpen 10+ year member]

I just got back into the market for the first time in a long time and have found some insane deals on some used stuff through craigslist/ebay. I'm not sure if the prices are so much cheaper than new prices because of the natural risk in buying an electrical product where its tough to measure how hard/long the product has been used, or whether its cheap because its stolen. Does anyone on here actively buy/sell used sub/amps and have any tips to look out for to ensure that im not buying stolen/damaged products? $600 for a w6 and 2 extra jl amps (500/1 and xxx/4, cant remember off the top of my head) is just wayyy too cheap to be legit right?

Click to read more...

 

[Mooncatt]

I would only buy in person and make any purchase contingent on getting to hear or examine the equipment first. If things aren't currently hooked up, it wouldn't be hard to rig up something with spare wire for a temp connection.

I did that with the stereo I bought used. I used a 12V extension cord for the cig lighter outlet that I cut one end off. I spliced the negative to the negative of the radio, and positive to both positives on the radio so I could power it from the lighter port. I then connected a spare speaker to the speaker wires to check for sound. The entire process was about a half hour (would've been quicker, but I wasn't getting sound at first) and it's been fine since the install. I heard twist connectors on everything so I could easily disconnect it after I tested it.

 

[Zer0C00l]

I just got back into the market for the first time in a long time and have found some insane deals on some used stuff through craigslist/ebay. I'm not sure if the prices are so much cheaper than new prices because of the natural risk in buying an electrical product where its tough to measure how hard/long the product has been used, or whether its cheap because its stolen. Does anyone on here actively buy/sell used sub/amps and have any tips to look out for to ensure that im not buying stolen/damaged products? $600 for a w6 and 2 extra jl amps (500/1 and xxx/4, cant remember off the top of my head) is just wayyy too cheap to be legit right?

amps: hook them up. check the output sound and listen to the physical amp itself. Some components of the amp will start making noise when they are going out. While testing the audio output at a low volume, turn all the pots to full lock back and forth a few times, listen for scratchy sounds coming from the speakers. For full range amps, give the test speaker a good rip for a few seconds without clipping it, then let it play for a few minutes at normal operating range, but still fairly loud to see if it plays without issue. sub amps, are more difficult as its easier to annoy the persons neighbors with lows than highs, but try to do the same thing.

speakers: get a DMM and make sure that a 4 ohm speaker reads at between 3.8 to 4.2 at rest. If it does, press the cone lightly, but enough to move it within its normal operating range and let it go back to resting position, if it reads the same as before moving it, you should be good as far as the coil goes. Make sure to bring a flashlight and inspect the speaker in indirect light as to allow closer inspection with the flashlight for punctures, scuffs or tears in the surround and cone. Check the terminals and leads between them and the VC. 

Probably several things im forgetting, but those are the quick and dirty ones id look for