Pick a mixer or powered speaker and see what it actually sells for on eBay, with shipping, condition and seller rating side by side. Prices are pulled live, so what you see is what sellers are really asking this minute, not shop retail.
Live from eBayAsk about hours, not years, and do not fear ex-rental. This is the one thing that inverts the usual second-hand instinct. A three-year-old speaker out of a busy rental fleet has run far more hours than an eight-year-old box that lived in a church and got used twice a week, so the model year tells you very little. But rental gear is also the best maintained equipment on the market, because a company whose income depends on it working services it on a schedule and replaces drivers before they fail. A scuffed rental box with service history is usually a safer buy than a pristine one that sat in a damp garage.
On powered speakers, the amplifier module is the expensive fault. Every powered box has an amp and DSP built into the back, and that module is what fails. A blown driver is a straightforward and fairly cheap replacement; a dead module often costs more than the speaker is worth. So insist on a test at real volume rather than "powers on and lights up", because a failing module frequently works quietly and then cuts out under load. Ask for a short video with music playing loudly.
On digital mixers, check what is missing before you check what works. These are systems rather than single boxes. A Midas or Behringer console without its stagebox is a fraction as useful, expansion cards are often removed before sale, and the power supply may be proprietary. Ask which firmware it is on too: older firmware is usually a free update, but a console that has never been updated suggests it was never really looked after.
Weight, and why local pickup often wins. A 12-inch powered speaker is 15 to 20kg and a full-size console more, so shipping is expensive and damage in transit is common. Sellers who crate properly charge accordingly, which is fair. If the price looks unbeatable, check the shipping line before you celebrate, because our figures include it for exactly this reason.
Live eBay listings, which is where most used PA gear changes hands between venues, churches, schools and rental companies. Pick a model and it fetches the current lowest-priced listings in real time with shipping added in, which matters more here than in most categories because the gear is heavy.
Usually the opposite. Rental companies service on a schedule and replace parts before failure, because their income depends on the gear working, so ex-rental stock is often better maintained than a lightly used unit that was stored badly. Judge it on hours and service history rather than on cosmetics.
The built-in amplifier and DSP module, far more often than the drivers. A blown driver is a fairly cheap replacement; a dead module can cost more than the speaker is worth. Insist on a test at volume, since a failing module often behaves normally when quiet and cuts out under load.
Typically 40-60% below new, which is a steeper discount than most audio gear because working venues upgrade in bulk and sell whole systems at once. That also means the best value tends to come in multi-item listings rather than single boxes.
A daily snapshot of the lowest genuine eBay price for every model we track, and how good that price is right now versus its usual level, updated automatically. Prices last refreshed 6 August 2026. Tap a model above for the full live list.
"Off retail" compares today's used price with what the model cost new. For models still on sale that is the current price; for discontinued ones it is the launch price, so it shows how far the model has depreciated rather than a discount you could get on a new one.
| Model | Cheapest now | Off retail | This week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midas M32 | $1,420 | 59% off | new |
| Yamaha DXR12 | $500 | 55% off | new |
| JBL EON615 | $405 | 42% off | new |
| Yamaha TF1 mixer | $1,445 | 42% off | new |
| Allen Heath SQ-5 | $3,528 | 16% off | new |
| Behringer XR18 | $299 | – | new |
| Electro-Voice ZLX-12P | $400 | – | new |
| QSC K12.2 | $465 | – | new |
| Behringer X32 | $810 | – | new |