Accuphase DP-750 on Order

[Weirdcuba]

I have heard that you can buy a unit in Japan and if you keep it there for at least six months, Accuphase will convert the voltage for you (and then you can ship it back to the US). Interesting possibility.

[Weirdcuba]

Originally Posted by GreginNH1

It's a real shame that the US Distributor feels compelled to mark the product up as much as he does. The prices in Canada tend to be less.

I second this emotion.Without being encumbered by any facts, it sure does seem like the distributor in the US just prices it there because he can (which I suppose is the market at work).

[Canonicus]

Originally Posted by Weirdcuba

I have heard that you can buy a unit in Japan and if you keep it there for at least six months, Accuphase will convert the voltage for you (and then you can ship it back to the US). Interesting possibility.

Even if that was true,I don't think I could wait that long!
Besides, I like to keep it local,so-to-speak and deal with someone who I can call,email or PM and talk to about my order if i need to.

My take is that you can either swallow hard, pay the markup, accept it for what is and get full factory warranty and dealer support..
or do the whole go-to-Japan thing and get a lower price and take the responsibility of trying to find someone who could work on it if need be and pay all the expenses.

Its "six of one...half dozen of the other" and a classic case (for some) of "pick your poison" imo.

[Weirdcuba]

Agreed. I would likely never do it, but it's just that Accuphase seems to be disproportionately priced in the US as compared to other countries even outside of Japan. So, it just makes me frustrated as no-one likes to get it stuck to them. That said, I now have four accuphase pieces and two more on the way that I happily purchased here in the US, so I've obviously made my choice (and thereby validated what I perceive to be the distributor's inflated pricing model).

[xv21]

Originally Posted by Weirdcuba

Agreed. I would likely never do it, but it's just that Accuphase seems to be disproportionately priced in the US as compared to other countries even outside of Japan. So, it just makes me frustrated as no-one likes to get it stuck to them. That said, I now have four accuphase pieces and two more on the way that I happily purchased here in the US, so I've obviously made my choice (and thereby validated what I perceive to be the distributor's inflated pricing model).

Accuphase products are also very expensive in Europe. I think that Accuphase integrated amplifiers are more reasonably priced than preamplifiers and power amplifiers.

[W9TR]

Here’s my take on some of the many things international distributors do to earn their keep:

1. Warranty and service capability in country.

2. Product certifications. Distributors often bear the burden of safety certifications like UL and CSA. They also bear the burden of FCC compliance certifications for devices that emit RF energy (pretty much anything with a microprocessor) and those devices that intentionally transmit WiFi, Blue Tooth, etc.

Often there are arrangements where the manufacturer and distributor share these costs, hard to say in this case as it differs a lot from brand to brand.

This is also why not all of a manufacturer’s product offerings are available in every country - sometimes the projected volumes do not justify the certification costs.

3. In-country stocking and device performance checks conducted prior to shipping to end customer.


There may be more I’ve left off, and this still doesn’t explain large differences between countries.

I’m also not endorsing the international distribution model, but it is here now and you circumvent it at your peril.

Tom

[Canonicus]

Interesting read from 6moons about the "gray market".

http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatur...d/toogood.html

[GreginNH1]

I have owned several Luxman and Accuphase pieces. I have never considered gray market items but many have done so. They just need to realize that they had better really like their components. If they go to sell these, they will be taking a MAJOR haircut. I remember some Accuphase gray market gear selling on another site at 30% of US list. Not sure if it ever sold.

[GSOphile]

Originally Posted by GreginNH1

I have owned several Luxman and Accuphase pieces. I have never considered gray market items but many have done so. They just need to realize that they had better really like their components. If they go to sell these, they will be taking a MAJOR haircut. I remember some Accuphase gray market gear selling on another site at 30% of US list. Not sure if it ever sold.

Depending on what they paid for the grey market item, 30% of US list might still be quite reasonable for something with a huge US distribution markup.

[Weirdcuba]

This reminded me of the camera market where one routinely sees the same items with and without a warranty for a significant price difference, from reputable sellers. I guess I wouldn’t do that with the system though (particularly an amp) for fear that it might impact something else in the system. If a camera dies, it just dies. If an amp has an issue, that might get complicated.