I do a fair amount of buying/selling in desktop audio, including headphones. I definitely have sold several headphones, other things because it became crystal clear from 1st listen that I didn't care for their sound. Usually I continue burn-in, hoping for better, but in these cases, the sound that displeased me wasn't changing for the better, so out they go.
I'm not alone in this behavior.
On the flip side of the coin, 3-4 months ago I stumbled over a listing for the endgame headphone and top HP tube amp I'd been thinking of getting. Both cost enough new to give me pause--and here they were, F.S. by a single person who explained that they had been barely used/weren't fully burned in. He had purchased this system for use while exercising, then realized he didn't like headphones much, if at all--and his plan wasn't working. OK, that's quite a tale, might not even be true. Except he had a lot of positive feedback on multiple sites (I checked--zero negative feedback). And his profile on the F.S. site included links to his business, complete with pictures of himself & his wife. Reading between the lines, he has plenty of money, enough not to care about this "mistake."
So I bought these 2 items (together = the largest used gear purchase I ever made). The sale included a complete set of NOS tubes he had acquired for the tube amp. Punchline: everything was exactly as described. About as new as not brand new gear can appear/act.
I'm not saying that purchasing nearly-new gear is without risk. Nothing is without risk. But if you check things out thoroughly, it might be worth the plunge, especially if you pay w/Paypal & have recourse in the event of a bad outcome...
I'm not alone in this behavior.
On the flip side of the coin, 3-4 months ago I stumbled over a listing for the endgame headphone and top HP tube amp I'd been thinking of getting. Both cost enough new to give me pause--and here they were, F.S. by a single person who explained that they had been barely used/weren't fully burned in. He had purchased this system for use while exercising, then realized he didn't like headphones much, if at all--and his plan wasn't working. OK, that's quite a tale, might not even be true. Except he had a lot of positive feedback on multiple sites (I checked--zero negative feedback). And his profile on the F.S. site included links to his business, complete with pictures of himself & his wife. Reading between the lines, he has plenty of money, enough not to care about this "mistake."
So I bought these 2 items (together = the largest used gear purchase I ever made). The sale included a complete set of NOS tubes he had acquired for the tube amp. Punchline: everything was exactly as described. About as new as not brand new gear can appear/act.
I'm not saying that purchasing nearly-new gear is without risk. Nothing is without risk. But if you check things out thoroughly, it might be worth the plunge, especially if you pay w/Paypal & have recourse in the event of a bad outcome...