Hi
I’m thinking of getting a 282 on EBay for £2200. It’s a 2011 model. If I service it that will cost about another £300.
Is this a risky option or is it better to pay £3500 for an ex-demo model that will be about 1 year old
Thanks
A service will put right any faults and return the amp to as new ‘sound’ check the case for blemishes but if its clean then I would think you will end up with a better unit than the Ex-Demo one as it will be factory serviced!
Oh, I didn’t think we could discuss items for sale
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Okay, I’ll re-phrase the question very generically “what risks are there in buying an older pre-amp versus a nearly new one?”
I see no problem with the question the OP raised in relation to forum rules. A lot of people here buy pre used and his question will help him determine which route to go down. There have been many similar threads in the past.
In that case the risks of buying an older 282 are greater than buying a newer 282. I would rather do without to be honest than buy really old gear
OTOH, an older 282 sent back for a service might end up better than a newer ex-demo, since the service will discover and fix any issues it has, and bring it back up to like-new spec.
My 282 is a 2008 model and I had it serviced a year ago. It looks perfect and sounds amazing.
Thanks, I guess I’m trying to get a feel for what ‘old’ is in Naimland. The 282 hasn’t changed design in that time, afaik, so I guess it boils down to risk appetite of the potential drip-drip of repairs versus paying more for newer.
Does anyone have a 282 that dates back to 2011 that could pass comment?
A 2011 vintage nac282 is really old gear ?
Thanks…sorry, didn’t see your post, so you’ve answered my question regarding any owners of 2011 vintage👍🏻
Naim amps in particular are a safe bet at any age. My 1988 Chrome Bumper NAP250 was factory serviced several years ago and sounds great. It is in perfect condition externally too; it looks like brand new really.
This is connected to an equally nice POTS 8 NAC82 and Supercap - both serviced by Class A.
VFM is off the scale here.
My only recommendation to the OP is to buy unmarked kit. Dents and scratches should to be avoided.
I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a 2011 model at reasonable price and have it serviced. Save the extra £1000 and use it for a second hand HiLine and PowerLine or something else nice.
The 282 is a gift that keeps on giving. I just replaced my HiCap DR with a SuperCap DR. It feels like I have a new upgraded preamp. 
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I owned a 2012 (I think) 282, but bought it from my dealer, pre-loved. I now own a 2008 552 un-serviced and it is superb, as was the 282.
So I see no problem buying Naim gear several years old as they tend to be very reliable and Naim owners are rather fastidious in the main. A 2011 282 should not need servicing for a few years, so no issue there.
Where you are taking a risk is buying from eBay. Although it should be OK, you never have the same peace of mind when buying from a dealer.
The eBayer in question should supply the full serial number if you contact him or her direct. If they refuse to do this then walk away. If you get the serial number then you can approach Naim HQ and get the early history of the unit which may or may not offer some comfort.
I must say however the 2011 unit sounds like a good deal, so try and check the unit and the seller out before you walk away.
Unless the used unit is < 1 year old and heavily discounted I’m not having secondhand, would sacrifice SQ for the satisfaction of that new feeling as opposed to someone else’s cast off feeling. I’ve seen dealer stuff which looks as if it was knocked about so no certainty there either
If a full factory service is in the plan I would not hesitate buying any vintage of Naim as long as the exterior cosmetic was excellent. I have purchased many used pieces and after service have had zero issues. Naim is built to last…
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My NDX2 is new from dealer (actually unused b-stock from distributor). The rest of my Naim kit is all secondhand or trade in. They all look as new. There is no way you could tell them apart. Buying used provides far greater VFM, IMO.
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As others have said, the biggest risk here is eBay.
If you can trust the seller then I would go down the second hand route plus the service. Providing the external appearance hasn’t been damaged.
The £1,000 saving could go towards the necessary Hi-cap or Super-cap or upgrade thereof.
Many thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply, much appreciated and it does help assess the risks
I have bought several items of Naim kit via eBay and it was fine. But you need to do some homework first. What is the seller’s feedback like?, is it recent and from selling things rather than buying things?, is it HiFi, even Naim-level HiFi or is it all sorts of bits and pieces?, do the photos look genuine?, can you see the serial number clearly or if not that then why do you think the quoted serial number is genuine?, what is the reason for sale being given?, how well does the seller communicate?, is the unit coming from anywhere convenient?, what does the seller say if you offer to collect from their home?, is the price about right or even a bit punchy - if so ok, but if it’s low then why is it low? Is it too low to be true?, a lot of old Naim kit is sold on eBay by Naim dealers in which case you can phone them and discuss.
Using this approach I only ever had one problem which was when I agreed to meet the seller at a London railway station and swap money for the unit (this wasn’t Naim but Quad). He didn’t turn up and didn’t answer his phone. Eventually it turned out that his dog had been knocked over that afternoon. And the swap took place a few days later at a location more convenient to me (although I was a bit concerned when he turned up on a push bike with the unit in a satchel slung over his shoulder). But all was fine as it turned out.
Best
David
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On a pushbike and in a satchel
What a great story…was he on his paper round…
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