Buyer's guide
What is ex-demo hi-fi, and is it worth buying?
Ex-demo is a unit a professional has kept in the shop, in the listening room or at a hi-fi show so customers could see and hear it. It has never been in anyone's home: it comes from the trade, with a known history and at a price well below new.
The three kinds of ex-demo
Display unit: it has stood in the shop, in view of the public. It has usually been switched on very little; what it has seen most is handling.
Listening-room unit: the one the dealer uses for auditions. It has played for hours, always in a well-kept room set up by professionals.
Show unit: it has been taken to a hi-fi show and travelled in its packaging. It is usually the most recent of the three.
Why it is a good buy
Price. The dealer or distributor needs to refresh its display and the unit can no longer be sold as new, so the price comes down.
Provenance. You are not buying from a stranger: on Hifi-Max only professional dealers and distributors sell, each verified one by one, and every purchase comes with an invoice in their name.
Warranty. Every listing states how many months of warranty that unit has and, because you are buying from a professional, the EU legal guarantee applies too.
What to check before you buy
Condition. The main photo of each listing is the manufacturer's official one, and it says so. If the unit has any marks, the listing says so and adds real photos of that unit.
What wears out. On a turntable, the hours on the cartridge; on a valve amplifier, the hours on the valves. Ask about them: they are replaceable parts.
What comes with it: remote, cables, manual and original packaging. The packaging matters if you ever need to ship it.
Frequently asked questions
Is ex-demo hi-fi second-hand?
It has been used — for demonstration, by professionals — so it is normally sold as a used unit. The difference from a private second-hand sale is who sells it to you: a dealer or distributor, with an invoice and a warranty.
Does ex-demo hi-fi come with a warranty?
Yes. Every listing states the months of warranty for that unit. And because the seller is a professional, the EU legal guarantee applies as well.
Why is ex-demo hi-fi cheaper?
Because it can no longer be sold as new. The dealer needs to refresh its display and would rather sell it at a discount than keep it idle.
Can I return an ex-demo unit?
If you are a consumer buying at a distance from a professional in the EU, you have 14 days from delivery to withdraw from the purchase without giving a reason.