What is "B-Stock"?

We get lots of questions about the term B-Stock, and rightfully so! Today we’re gonna dive in deep and answer the most common questions we get:

A Bird’s Eye View

We have three regular indicators to describe the type of products we offer:

• A-Stock

• B-Stock

• Refurbished (or Refurb)

By default, any given product is A-Stock unless explicitly stated otherwise. A-Stock is the cosmetic target we aim for when building all new units, period. B-Stock items are also brand-new, but generally have some minor cosmetic defect which would disqualify the unit from passing our visual quality assurance checks. Refurbished units may be either brand-new with a cosmetic defect, a demo unit, a return, or trade-in which we pass back into the production queue like it were new to make sure it is compliant with all of our build, sound, and measurement requirements.

A Comparison

Here’s what’s true for all units, regardless of the indicator:

• All of our exacting standards for audio performance and build-quality must be met.

• World-class customer support

• Includes full 2 year warranty

Here’s where they may differ:

• A-Stock: The best of the best looks-wise, always brand-new.

• B-Stock: May have a minor cosmetic defect, always brand new.

• Refurbished: May have a cosmetic defect, sometimes new, sometimes not.

Why B-Stock?

We’re a small shop making gear by hand, one unit at a time, using NOS parts. Every now and then we’re bound to mill a little too far on one side of a hole, drop a screwdriver onto a face panel, sharpie a little too close to something visible, or tighten a screw a little too hard. And the same is true for our huge list of super hard-working suppliers, whose bulk parts have to survive getting shipped over to our shop from all over!

It feels like a waste though to let an otherwise perfectly functional case part go unused because it doesn’t look perfect. That’s why we like B-Stock: it gives us a way to make use of those blemished pieces and also find a fair way to offer a more affordable product to our customers who don’t mind the look!

Does B-Stock mean In-Stock / Ready to ship?

No. To avoid confusion, we’ll only use the phrases “In-Stock” or “In-Stock, Ready to Ship” to refer to units which we have on hand that are already fully built and able to be shipped within the next business day. The In-Stock units we have available at any given time may be A-Stock, B-Stock, or Refurbished. When referring to a limited number of units we can build under a lead time, we will opt for phrases like “Only X available” or “First batch of Y” on a product page. Additionally we will mark products that are In-Stock with a yellow strip that says “In-Stock, Ready to Ship” when browsing through them on their respective category pages.

We are not set in our ways about the best way of communicating this information, and are always open to receiving feedback on the matter if someone has ideas! Let our team know through our email: info@audio-scape.com

Why would a brand new unit be Refurb, and not B-Stock?

We also have standards for what may visually qualify as a B-Stock unit! A brand-new item labeled as “Refurb” (most all refurbished units are also brand new builds BTW) will typically have a more visible cosmetic defect than one labeled as B-Stock, such as a larger scratch or chip in paint. The author of this article recounts a time when he was deburring a hole for one of the controls on an EQP-A and created a nice gash on the front panel as the tool slid away… my bad (or my good?) if you got that refurb. 

We want “minor cosmetic defect” to actually mean minor when you get a B-Stock, so typically we reserve those bigger marks for refurbs. Once we’ve accumulated enough of either, we will offer them on our site.

What about a returned item as Refurb?

All items which come in previously owned by someone else must go through all quality control checks again to ensure they function correctly, full stop, before they are permitted to leave the shop again. 

There are too many of these checks to name here, but among them: some are mechanical (are screws tightened and seated correctly, are transformers oriented correctly, are all braces and brackets present and functioning, do jacks look and feel correct when plugged into, etc.), some electrical (do PCB traces look correct, are all wires in good condition, how do solder joints look, etc.), some audio path (what do noise levels and distortion look like, are all controls performing within their expected ranges, do we meet our specs, etc.), some cosmetic (are there any visual defects present, do these defects indicate any other issues, etc.).

Any unit which does not meet our criteria we will attempt to repair, or replace subsections of the build with new ones until it meets this criteria. We don’t like to waste parts, so any failing boards which still have properly performant components within them are stored for future consideration (such as during parts shortages!). We will not reuse a component in a build if it does not meet spec, or if it is within spec but at higher risk of failure or falling out of spec.

You didn’t answer my question…

Don’t see the info you’re looking for? Let our team know at info@audio-scape.com and tell us this article sent you so we can include it.

Peace Out!