1. Shop Online
Even if the sales representative in your local audio store has the gift of the gab, it doesn't mean they have the best prices. Before spending your hard-earned money on brand new gear, it's worth your while going online and checking out what is available on the different online marketplaces and websites. There are several reputable audio equipment resellers on the web and well-known websites like SoundImports stock a wide range of branded audio devices.
It might take you a lot of time to visit every single traditional music store in your area, but you can visit lots of online stores in a matter of minutes. Do a little bit of research about the products by reading customer reviews posted on social media platforms and online forums. Most online marketplaces allow customers to post comments about the products they have purchased, which might help you get an insight into what the product is really like. The downside of shopping for new audio gear online is that you might be forced to pay for delivery. If the equipment you are investing in is large, you might have to spend a lot of money on transport.
2. Consider Chinese Made Equipment
Audio products manufactured in China have improved in recent years. Companies like Huawei and SMSL are just two of the many businesses within China producing top-quality audio equipment. You can save a small fortune by investing in these Chinese products.
However, you might be worried about the cost of shipping, but there are several Chinese stores that ship their products around the world for free. If you don’t receive the product in a certain amount of time, you will be entitled to a full refund. Most well known Chinese online marketplaces offer a secure payment service, so you don’t have to worry about fraud.
3. Second-Hand Gear
Most well-built audio equipment lasts for many years, which is why you should consider buying secondhand items. Most secondhand products that are in good condition will sell for half the price of the original. This way you can purchase leading brands for a fraction of the price. Some people are constantly upgrading their audio gear, so they are often selling their old equipment.
If there isn’t a secondhand store in your area, there are websites where people advertise their old bits and pieces. However, it can be risky buying old audio gear, especially on the web. You won’t get the opportunity to test the item before you buy it. You will have to put your faith in the buyer and hope that everything is in proper working order. If the product has been damaged, it is highly unlikely that you will get your money back. Well known sellers will have built up a reputation, so consider checking out what their previous customers have had to say about their experiences dealing with the seller.
If the product is in immaculate condition, you might be wondering why the seller has it for sale on an online auction. Be careful, because you might end up with a stolen item in your possession. It is almost impossible to tell if the seller is honest, so you won’t know what really motivates them to put the item up for sale.
4. Look out for Sales and Promotions
Both online and physical stores do promotions now and again. There are several reasons stores offer their customers discounts on products such as:
- Entice customers to buy their products
- Get rid of old stock
- Promote a new product
- Certain times of the year
If you can remain patient for the price of audio items to go down, you could save yourself a lot of money. Experts in America believe the best time to purchase audio gear is during Cyber Monday or Black Friday. You can expect last season's model to cost a fraction of the price it once was. Unlike buying secondhand, these devices will come with a warranty, so you don’t have to worry if you come across any problems with the product. In the United States, just before the Superbowl plenty of electronic stores will offer their customers discounts on televisions and speaker systems, to enhance the viewer’s overall experience. You can also expect promotions throughout the month of January, when stores are looking to get rid of old stock that didn’t sell over the Christmas period.
Consider asking staff members in your local music store about upcoming promotions.
5. Build Your Own Speaker
If you like working with your hands, you might enjoy creating your own speaker from scratch. Since the pandemic began, it seems like more people than ever before are making their own speakers at home. The task can prove challenging, but it's not as difficult as you might think. Making a custom speaker is extremely rewarding, and if you use good electronic devices and build a quality box, you might be able to make a speaker that competes with the best commercial speakers on the market.
However, if it is your first attempt at making a custom speaker, you might be worried about buying the wrong receiver, the wrong wires, etc. So to get started, you should think about investing in a speaker DIY kit from a supplier. Without the knowledge needed to build a speaker from scratch, you might find it difficult to build a functioning speaker. But speaker kits make the process easy. These kits come with a step-by-step instruction manual, so you can’t go wrong.
If you feel that buying a speaker kit seems like cheating, and you are adamant that you want to make your own entirely by yourself, there are tons of tutorials uploaded to streaming services like YouTube worth checking out.
Conclusion
If you are in financial difficulty like many others during these unprecedented times, try to avoid spending cash on cheap, low-quality audio equipment. Although these devices might look great, the chances of them sounding good is highly unlikely. Inexpensive flimsy speakers and sound systems don’t tend to have a long lifespan, so you might be forced to replace the item soon after purchasing it.
Shopping online allows us to save money, but you won’t be able to try the product before spending your cash on it. If you decide to invest in audio devices on the web, do as much research as possible first. If your friends or family members already own the same device, tell them you are interested in buying it, and whether or not they would recommend the product.