Marantz PM6003 Amp, CD6003 CD player & Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 - £599.95 @ RS

I expect this will bomb because it's not 50p

In terms of HIFI, always buy 2nd hand.

This is especially true to lower/mid end kit, which depeciated like a stone.

Why spend 600 quid on a system when you can get a 3-5 year old 1500 quid new system for less money.

Good point, but warranty is always a consideration when spending this kind of money. My AV amp is second hand as was my last TV but anything with moving parts (CD player, Blu-Rap player) and my plasma TV (for the 5-year warranty) were all bought new.

Some people just prefer new, just like with cars.

I would disagree that lower end kit depreciates as fast. I'd say mid-end kit (like the £1500 example you gave) depreciates faster.

Secondhand - no thanks, every time I buy electronics second hand I might as well just throw money away.

Looks good to me, my Marantz amp is just fine!

Also, if no one ever bought new there'd be no second hand kit left to buy - don't let the secret out abaxas

A few years back I spent £700 on a NAD amp and CD player and Wharfedale 9.1 speakers and it sounds amazing for the money (new). I have no doubt this will sound better and looks a damn site prettier than my kit!

Silicon solid state transistors and capacitors deterioate with time , takes years, and the hi-fi quality will drop as it ages. Through use, the operation of a transistor may degrade over time. There are currently several known modes of transistor degradation. One type of degradation mechanism involves channel hot carriers. In general a high electric field within a transistor causes degradation in the gate oxide. Another degradation mechanism is referred to as negative biased temperature instability degradation. All in all, secondhand hi-fi more than 7 years old is no where near its brand new quality of sound.