Summary:
The advantage of buying used car audio equipment. Or would you want to wait another couple of months to get what you want?
Thanks to modern electronics, we now have, more than ever, multiple options for buying an audio system for our car. We only need to go to an electronics store like Best Buy or Circuit City and find tons of options. Or check the web. There are so many brands to choose from that it may drive you nuts.
So, today it isn't about what should you buy, but how much money do you have to invest in my car audio. It's a complex balance between what do you want and what can you really afford, especially if you are an enthusiast of these babies.
Let's say that you have five hundred dollars. That let's you buy a decent receiver, an amplifier and a nice set of 4-way speakers. But reality says that you want more. Ok, you may buy this basic kit and save some more money until you have enough dollars to go for a subwoofer or a couple of tweeters with a dedicated amp. The thing is that you may not want to wait one or two years for it.
In that case, you should consider buying an used car audio system. For some men it may be considered as a sacrilege. After all, an audio system is considered by many of us as a physical manifestation of ourselves. It is the mean to make the world know what kind of music we hear.
But relax. You don't need to be such an extremist with used car audio. First things first. Look for some prices. One of the first places to look on is Ebay. You may find a good price on a complete used car audio kit. Another option is retail stores. Some years ago I found a complete kit: receiver, speakers and amplifiers for 60% of the price. Why? Because the guy who bought it didn't like how it sounded and spent more money on a more sophisticated system. But for me it was more than enough. This guy's bad choice was my bliss.
You can also check the classified ads in the newspaper. You will find lot's of local sellers looking for buyers for their used car audio. Electronics advances very quickly and consumers are so eager to use new technologies, that you will not find a shortage of them.
Finally, try your friends. Maybe they were already considering selling their system but needed a final push to do it. Ask those that have a good sounding system and check how much the same equipment would cost at a store.
At the end, it doesn't matter which source of used car audio you use, the thing is that you find yourself comfortable with the deal you have made. Not only on the bucks you have saved, but also feeling that your second hand system does sound good after all.