chris lowe:Just got back from New York and i found a cracking little HiFi dealer just off 6th Avenue. I met the owner and told him i was browsing and comparing prices, even though i wasnt there to buy he spent just over an hour with me taking about the US market. Anyways what peed me off was just how cheap kit is. I could have bought fopr example a tosh HD DVD player brand new for.............£70, yes £70 and its a new model! Bryston amps a fraction of the UK price and by a fraction i mean around a 1/3 less. I then thought about buying something as these prices were to good to be true so I bought a pair of Audioquest Jaguars for £130 the best in the UK i can find is £249 plus p+p and its a great cable although i have only been using it for a full day it seams to be impeccable in all areas, even the boss (wife) noticed a change which was described as not booming and the voices sound cleaner! This guy was most helpful i kid you not its a shame UK dealers are not the same! Oh and before i forget i asked a number of electrical dealers who is winning the format war between blue ray and hd dvd, blue ray is out selling hd by considerable margins
The reason the HD DVD player was £70 is because Toshiba dropped the technology two years ago - it's a dead format!
I can't see why anyone would expect to pay a price for an imported piece of kit just based on an exchange rate? So what if a product retails at $2000 in the states and £2000 here? Do you think a UK distributor pays a vastly different price to the manufacturer at wholesale? He has to stump up for the import taxes, premises and staff for his operation, make a profit and not to mention providing a review sample or two which he will probably never see any return on. And thats before you start taking into account a dealer network which has to cover it's own costs and make a profit.
The reason the HD DVD player was £70 is because Toshiba dropped the technology two years ago - it's a dead format!
I can't see why anyone would expect to pay a price for an imported piece of kit just based on an exchange rate? So what if a product retails at $2000 in the states and £2000 here? Do you think a UK distributor pays a vastly different price to the manufacturer at wholesale? He has to stump up for the import taxes, premises and staff for his operation, make a profit and not to mention providing a review sample or two which he will probably never see any return on. And thats before you start taking into account a dealer network which has to cover it's own costs and make a profit.