Outside of going to an audiophile store (which there are none nearby me), it seems many on this sub are often purchasing headphones with the intent to just try them. They’ll give em a good critical listen, and if they dont like em, ship em back. Amazon seems to be popular for this.
But I dont get how this works. I dont trust Amazon’s “free returns” policy as they’ve screwed me numerous times in the past (non headphone related). Furthermore, free returns are often not free at all, and I see tons of fine print about restocking fees, return fees, etc etc. So how are you guys managing to test so many headphones before buying them?
I know headphones.com has a 365d return policy, but at least they’re transparent and tell you upfront that there are restocking fees (as opposed to Amazon which is the exact opposite). So at least you can budget and act accordingly. But again, I ask - how are you guys doing this? Is Amazon really being that good to you guys and I just have the worst luck in the world? Help!
Shows. In the US you guys have Canjam fairly often, but tons of other shows are available.
At least for us in France, Amazon is a no brainer cuz you really don’t have to spend a dime when returning products. They aren’t picky at all, you don’t even need the original cardboard box.
Used market is great. If you’re with it, you’re not losing much money in the process.
FB groups are kinda seen as “for dads and old farts” but they are the ones with money, some people have access to a ton of gear. You can trade, get loaners, etc to see more stuff in your hands.