Preowned Amp Market Price.

You're right, I bet you would love the way they will sound. Fair market price? Well, fair and what has been going on lately are two different things. I would stick around here and someone might part with theirs, because anywhere else at the moment is out of hand price wise. Good luck man.

Well, three pair of nines have been on eBay lately for over $2600--That's more than the original retail price!

Two pair SOLD for more than that...one is still out there.

I smell fish on eBay in regard to recent changes where buyers are prohibited from seeing if a few rogue sockpuppets are allowed to falsely inflate prices, but in regard to equipment that is no longer manufactured, how would one determine "fair market value" with any degree of objective accuracy?

Well,
Most of the time if it's in really good shape I figure around a dollar per watt.

Well,
Most of the time if it's in really good shape I figure around a dollar per watt.

Is that into 8 or 4 ohms?

What's the norm ?

So for people like me, that own Martin Logans, I'd be paying half as much for the same amp,because a Silver 7t will put almost 1000 watts into a 4ohm load. So for my system, I should get a 50% discount on the price on EBAY, because I'd only be using less than half the amps rated output...

I don't think that would fly with a seller, but I'd be glad to buy a set of Silver 7/9t's for $100-1300. The prices thay have been going for lately is obscene. They ARE great amps, but when they;re selling for $500 more a pair than they were new--and these are 10-15 year old amps, some without boxes--there is something SERIOUSLy wrong with the market.

Perhaps they are such fantastic amps that they are worth it for real hardcore, money-bags audiopohiles. I mean if I had $3000 to spend on amps, would I get a 10 year old weirdo amp like the Silver 9, or would I get something brand new from Krell, Bryston or Mcintosh? Actually, I'd go with the Carvers, because they ARE that good. I've listened to a LOT of amps with ML speakers, and the only thing that even comes close to the Carver Silver 7/9t is in the 5-digit price range--Ultra-high-end ARC monos, or high-power VACs, or maybe the big Levinsons. So I suppose considering the competition, the Carvers are a bargain, even at 25% over original retail...

Granted teh Martin Logans are a challenging speaker to drive. But the Silver 7/9t is the only amp I've ever heard below about $8000 that sounds smooth, natural, and transparent ALL THE TIME, under all conditions with all source material with ML speakers. Not even the crazy high-end stuff sounds as good under all playback conditions, to my ears.

But there is just something in my "never pay retail" mentality that won't let me pay that much for used gear. Perhaps in a few months, the market will calm down, and I'll be abe to score a pair again. But I'm not holding my breath.

--Richard

Keep in mind.... these amps are pretty solid.
They will last 10-20-30 years without repair.

For a (new) 500watt monoblock amp (that's stable to 2 or 1 Ohms) today, you are going to spend a pretty penny anyway.

The Silver-7s/7t/9t are also in the catagory of (collectors pieces) as well.
Bet you can't buy a 57' Chevy today for what it cost in 57' (even if it's falling apart)

And on top of that....
Damn, they look good !!!

Man, retubing the silver 7s with world class NOS would be scary