WTB: CA Andromeda (No Longer Looking)

This is a short term thing ... if I can't get them in my hands for Wednesday (which means if they show in-stock before shipping-cut-off tomorrow from CA or ALO I'll order directly form there), then it won't matter.

Not looking for a "deal" ... this is a speed thing.

Must be cosmetically perfect - not interested in B-stock units (unless they're unreasonably well priced).

 

MUST.... HAVE.... ANDROMEDA.... NOW....

 

A cosmetically perfect Andros are very rare. My less than 2 months Andros already got few paint chips on edges.

 

Wanted to have them to compare to another round of similarly priced IEMs I have on loan/tour (which showed up weeks ahead of when I expected), since they're a more commonly known baseline here than the stuff I usually use.

Also, wanted to see if they would quell my desire to go buy some obscene custom job and, at the same time address my general impatience.

That scratches buying new off the list of possibilities then.

 

I mean, if you just wanted a loaner Andro, I could do without mine for a couple weeks, but I wouldn't want to sell them permanently.

 

I very much appreciate your kind offer. I won't take you up on it though. If they're as prone to chipping/scratching as they sound I'd feel awful if I contributed to that. It's cutting it too fine to be safe for anything non-local at this point as well.

I'll just use my SE846 and ER4-S as comparison points.

But, again, I appreciate the offer!

 

I thought I'd been really careful with mine over the last 2 months, especially when putting them in the case so they wouldn't scratch each other, but on close inspection there are a few small dents and worn corners. Oh well.

 

@shipsupt You can close this thread whenever it is convenient. Thanks!

I shall just have to be patient. The A12/U12 spoiled me. Impressions tomorrow (as in getting EAR impressions made!) Then just have to decide on A12, A18 or the Tia Fourte and order (the Tia won't need the impressions of course).

 

i don't treat my andromedas like lil princesses anymore, sometimes i don't even put them in the case but put them in a zippered backpack pocket or wherever. no real scratches, dents, or other marks mar their beautiful emerald surface obviously this is all immaterial but just thought i'd provide a counterpoint.

 

I don't baby mine either, although I do continue to store them in the zippered case for convenience and so I always know where they are. I haven't noticed any marks but then I also don't look very closely as they're designed to go into my ears, not my eyeholes.

 

Yeah, depends on your tolerance for imperfection. Half the stuff peddled as "mint" wouldn't exceed 7/10 to my eyes.

Andromedas have taught me to give less of a shit about how something looks and more about how it performs (although one might argue the imperfections accrued over time are endearing). I hope you change your mind about fretting over physical flaws.

 

I'm not "fretting" over anything.

I was looking to buy the Andromeda primarily to do a comparison against so that my IEM impressions were base-lined against something others here are more familiar with. The chances that I'd keep them are very small unless they were obviously better than the CIEMs I'm looking at. As such there's a 95% probability that I'd have been selling them on within a week.

Since I wasn't looking to pick them up on the cheap, I wanted them cosmetically perfect so as not to take an unnecessary "ding" when it comes to unloading them.

My comment about not ever needing to buy them NEW was predicated on comments as to their tendency to show wear very easily. Why would I pay full new prices for something that's going to look worn very easily when the manufacturer themselves sells B-stock at a useful discount? In other words ... if they're that prone to scratches or dings, there would be no reason at all for me to ever consider paying more than the B-stock price whether that's from CA themselves or from an existing owner.

And for me, this pretty much tanks their potential used prices. They move from being an $1100 item to an $850 one (the price I'd have to pay for unused B-stock from CA) ... with used prices being something I would expect to be lower still.

For stuff I plan to keep long-term I'm a) a bit more patient and b) not particularly worried about resale. Not that my considerations or expectations about the condition of stuff I buy should concern or bother anyone else.

 

@brencho @Merrick amazing that your Andros are still perfect.

@Torq I wish you get Ando somehow. ProPhile 8 seems a good contender as well. 64audio... tia Fourte will sound good (pray they tune it right) but the asking price is too much.

And isn't TEAC patented?