Expensive PMCs in Ireland!

[Anonymous]

Part of the solution is not to buy UK designed or manufactured items, of course.

Many overseas companies produce components as good, and sometimes comfortably better, than UK-grown items. The Totems you mention are a case in point. Quite why people muck about with RX2s and the like when you can buy Dreamcatchers for just a bit more is beyond me.

Same goes for amplifiers. Audio Analogue and Unison Research make some wonderful amplifiers yet people won't even consider listening to them they're so fixated by their made in China but with a union jack sticker on the back equipment. Excepting NAD, of course, which is a Canadian company.

 

[ID.]

I've usually found one can get a better performance/value ratio by buying locally, although that might always be an option.

In Australia the choice and quality of Aus. CDPs and amps didn't do it for me, so ended up paying far more for my Alpha 9 than I would've in the UK. Just a fact of life, but I was far better off buying Aus. speakers (which I did, and loved).

Here in Japan, I thought I'd go Arcam again, but the mark ups on Arcam and so much of the kit reviewed here made many brands bad value vs. the local Japanese kit (biggest shock: Proacs at a price I could've picked them up cheaper by flying to the UK and picking up a pair myself...). I suppose it reinforces the need to keep an open mind and remember the reviews/stars in the magazine are relative to the price so one needs to audition what is available and work for oneself whether it is worth it. It probably pays to keep an open mind, chat with the dealers about what sound you are looking for and prices, etc. and be prepared to listen to something outside of the kit initially considered.

 

[Anonymous]

On the other hand I assume the top Marantz and Denon amps would be a lot cheaper, and they're pretty impressive.

Krix?

 

[ID.]

Tarquinh:
On the other hand I assume the top Marantz and Denon amps would be a lot cheaper, and they're pretty impressive.

Krix?

They do seem a bit cheaper than the UK, but those bigger brands are pretty widely distributed so the difference overseas isn't usually so big (like buying B&W here), but here they have a serious advantage over brands with an import markup. Other fairly large brands here like Luxman, CEC and Esoteric (well, TEAC I suppose. My RZ-1s eems to retail for US$6000 or 5000 euro, pretty much double the price here, but it is a new release and (should) drop) are often considerably cheaper here and fantastic value. I'm not so familiar with Japanese speakers though and none have made an impression like Japanese electronics. Maybe I need to look a bit harder.

Yep. Krix. Also liked Legend Acoustics, but the last time I really listened/auditioned was when the Alpha 9 was current.

 

[Anonymous]

What folks are forgetting is that when you convert say the pound to another currency what you see is not what you pay when you make a transfer, for example the pound against the Euros lets say its 1euro is 85p but when you make the transfer the rate offered will more than likely be 1 euro = 80p therefore making the final price more expensive plus bank fee.

On top of that if you buy in the UK the manufacture provides the warranty, if you are a distributor you provide that service, and hello, that costs money to provide that service.

If you are buying outside the Euro zone you have the pay import taxes and clearance costs this will add another 25% to the costs.

Shipping costs again this will add to the final selling price, so comparing the price in one country to another is a waste of time, it is impossible to keep prices parallel to the country of origin.

Europe probably quite soon is going to notice some dramatic prices increases from Japan soon with the way the Euro is crashing against the Yen, these things are totally out of the hand of importers.

 

[ID.]

silly: Europe probably quite soon is going to notice some dramatic prices increases from Japan soon with the way the Euro is crashing against the Yen.

Which hopefully means a lowering of the prices on European wines here for me in Japan (or the distributors enjoying fatter profit margins)