Refurbished electronics: a great value, more on high-end audio brand Krell
Week of September 26, 2004
Q: In shopping for a receiver, I have noticed there are some refurbished products out there at very attractive prices. Is there any reason to avoid these refurbished products?
-Adrian Mariano, Bedford, MA
A: If a reputable dealer is offering the refurbished products, there is no reason to avoid them. In my experience there are more reasons to embrace refurbished products than avoid them!
Products offered as refurbished, B-stock, or “factory renewed” are typically returns or regular production models that may have a slight cosmetic defect. Every manufacturer I have spoken with says their refurbished units actually have tighter quality control than regular production units, as they want to be sure the product does not come back again. Savings can approach 50% compared to regular production units.
Over the past ten years I have purchased many refurbished products such as camcorders, photo printers, DVD players, and receivers and have not had a single problem. Buying the refurb has allowed me to save money compared to a factory-fresh (or A-stock) unit, buy a step-up model for the price of the entry level model, or squeeze a few dollars out of one part of a system to put it somewhere else, such as saving on the receiver in order to buy better speakers. Many readers building systems have purchased refurb units on my recommendation and I have yet to hear of any dissatisfaction.
The best place to find refurbished products is online. Some reputable dealer sites are www.jr.com, www.onecall.com, and www.pcmall.com. They offer products from Denon, Onkyo, Canon, Panasonic, and many others. Manufacturer websites such as www.onkyousa.com, www.harmanaudio.com, and www.epson.com usually have refurbs available as well.
One thing to watch: the warranty and return policy of a refurbished product may be different than A-stock products, so be sure to evaluate the whole picture before deciding on a refurbished unit.
Krell clarification: Last week I answered a reader’s question about the pecking order of brands in the electronics world, and in my reply I mentioned Krell Industries, stating they have offerings from the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands dollars. I also said I thought spending that much on amplifiers is silly. Since then I have received communications from Krell’s PR firm and a Krell distributor, and feel my statements are in need of clarification.
Many audiophiles, myself included, consider Krell the gold standard in audio electronics. Krell CEO and Chief Designer Dan D’Agostino has a legendary reputation among audiophiles, and satisfied celebrity owners include baseball player Mike Piazza and model Fabio.
The public should know you don’t have to be a celebrity to afford Krell, though even their least expensive offerings don’t come cheap. For $8,000 total, you can buy the Krell Showcase 5 amplifier and Krell Showcase surround sound processor to provide the same functionality as a receiver, but with a much higher standard of manufacture and performance. These Rolls Royce-class components will provide flawless performance and a lifetime of enjoyment for those who can afford them, and in fact I recommend them to those who write me requesting component suggestions for a top-drawer system.
At the other extreme, using the Krell Master Reference amplifiers in a seven speaker home theater will set you back $420,000… for the amplifiers alone.
I still think spending six figures on amplifiers is overkill in the extreme, but I can’t afford them anyway. Don’t let me stop you- if you have the money and it makes you happy, go for it! Personally, I would be overjoyed to have “just” Krell Showcase in my home theater. Perhaps one day.
To learn more and see Krell products from entry-level to billionaire, visit www.krellonline.com. No charge for looking…
