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| Headphone Amps (full-size) Discussion of desktop headphone amps. |
03-02-2009, 12:32 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 139
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Shipping from China to Europe with EMS or DHL?
I am considering buying some hifi gear (an amplifier and such) directly from China, importing it to Europe (for my personal use).
I am wondering what shipping company to use.
The seller mentioned EMS and DHL.
Do you have experience with these companies? Are both reasonably safe?
Also, the seller mentioned that with EMS, sometimes the buyer does not pay taxes. I inferred that with DHL, the buyer ALWAYS pay taxes, while with EMS it is more random. Is that correct?
I'd be happy if some of you have some experiences to share when buying from China and using EMS, DHL, or something else, concerning the questions above (safety & taxes).
__________________
Input: Cambridge 640C, Cambridge 340T, or Foobar > Wasapi > Musical Fidelity V-Dac (through USB)
Main amp: Cambridge 640A v2. RCA interconnects.
Output: Triangle Altea ESW, or Corda Arietta > Beyer DT-880 (250 ohms)
On the road: Sony A-818 > Westone UM2
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03-02-2009, 12:46 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Porto, Portugal
Posts: 439
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 8140david
Also, the seller mentioned that with EMS, sometimes the buyer does not pay taxes. I inferred that with DHL, the buyer ALWAYS pay taxes, while with EMS it is more random. Is that correct?
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This is certainly true over here in Portugal, and even when they decide to tax it (EMS) (and most big items they do), it is cheaper than the alternatives (DHL, UPS, TNT and all other private companies). DHL will charge 100% of the time, nothing escapes.
Those private companies charge brokerage fee's that are outrageous, to the tune of 50-60Euros just to handle the paperwork to release the item from customs... by EMS that costs about 6-10 Euros... big difference. And remember that on top of this you have the possible taxes and duties.
When sent by EMS the delivery is made by the national mailing services, and I prefer this to the private companies because I can pick up my item in my local mailing station, when not at home to receive it, the private companies would have me schedule another delivery day or something like that, and their usually not available to do so when I like (later in the day).
I have no real complaints about DHL except the fees they charge to handle the customs stuff, but all private companies do charge "big numbers" for this over here, when receiving stuff sent from inside the EU I have no problems using DHL, UPS and most others.
From outside the EU, EMS/National services, always.
__________________
PC (WASAPI) → AMB/Mr.X γ1 (W.I.P) → Pure Silver m-RCA D.I.Y → Millett Hybrid MiniMAX D.I.Y (W.I.P) / AMB Mini³ D.I.Y → Sennheiser HD-650 / Grado RS-80
Last edited by DaMnEd; 03-02-2009 at 12:59 AM.
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03-02-2009, 04:28 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southern California
Posts: 467
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EMS all the way, DHL's service has always been subpar (understatement) for me regardless of whether it's been international or domestic.
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03-02-2009, 04:46 AM
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1000+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 1,288
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Quote:
Originally Posted by somestranger26
EMS all the way, DHL's service has always been subpar (understatement) for me regardless of whether it's been international or domestic.
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x2
__________________
Home1: Squeezebox Classic-> Audio-gd Reference 3 -> Buffalo DAC, Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 -> rockhopper built KGSS-> Stax O2 mk1, 4070
Home2: Opus DAC -> Square Wave XL-> AKG K340, AKG K270 playback
My feedback: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f12/xxii-338489/
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03-02-2009, 05:03 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 139
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Thanks all for your answers!
Do some other people have other experiences or advice to share when shipping with EMS or DHL? (See first post)
__________________
Input: Cambridge 640C, Cambridge 340T, or Foobar > Wasapi > Musical Fidelity V-Dac (through USB)
Main amp: Cambridge 640A v2. RCA interconnects.
Output: Triangle Altea ESW, or Corda Arietta > Beyer DT-880 (250 ohms)
On the road: Sony A-818 > Westone UM2
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03-02-2009, 05:19 PM
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Junior Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Ramon, California
Posts: 27
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I just got my Darkvoice amp shipped from China via EMS, the service was good, didn't have any problems with them.
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03-02-2009, 05:38 PM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Beautiful New Hampshire
Posts: 718
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EMS for sure!
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03-02-2009, 09:44 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 137
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Also got my Darkvoice with EMS from China. No issues at all.
__________________
USB -> Cambridge Audio DacMagic -> Blue Jeans XLR -> Audio-gd C-2C/Darkvoice 336se ( Sylvania 6SN7WGT / Tung Sol 5998 ) -> Sennheiser HD650/Beyer DT770 Pro 80.
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03-03-2009, 02:14 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Jose/Orange, CA
Posts: 8,227
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EMS.
__________________
Home: KECES-151 + Gilmore Lite + Shure SHR840
Home(2): KECES-151 + Little Dot I+ + Grado SR225
Portable: iPod Classic 160GB/Sansa Clip 2GB + Yuin PK3/Koss KSC75/Koss PortaPro/Shure SE530
College: Pico DAC + Gilmore Lite + SR225/SRH840
College(2): Pico DAC + Audioengine A2
Speakers: Marantz CC4001 + NAD C325BEE + Monitor Audio Silver RS6
There are those who treat music as a convenience,
and then there are those who recognize it as an art.
Feedback
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03-03-2009, 07:49 PM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Copenhagen
Posts: 784
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I would worry less about the carrier than buying direct from China. Imagine that "it" arrives, you plug it in and it does not work. What then? This is not that uncommon a scenario. I hope it is small and doesn't cost much.
__________________
Greetings from the sunny Brønshøj Riveria on the banks of the lovely Utterslev Mose
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03-03-2009, 08:44 PM
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Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE
Posts: 59
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Give a go to EMS, the price is quite fair.
__________________
In use now:
Ipod Video 30G - RSA Predator - Qables Silvercab-pro iPod dock to minii cable - Ultrasone Pro 750 & Shure E5C & Westone UM2 & B&O A8
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03-03-2009, 08:45 PM
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Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE
Posts: 59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frihed89
I would worry less about the carrier than buying direct from China. Imagine that "it" arrives, you plug it in and it does not work. What then? This is not that uncommon a scenario. I hope it is small and doesn't cost much.
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Bro, no offense, but you should never buy from internet.....
__________________
In use now:
Ipod Video 30G - RSA Predator - Qables Silvercab-pro iPod dock to minii cable - Ultrasone Pro 750 & Shure E5C & Westone UM2 & B&O A8
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03-03-2009, 09:39 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,627
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Go for EMS, worked good for me.
__________________
When the audio equipment takes priority over the music, the way the music sounds is more important than the sound of the music. Check my profile to see my rig.
Want to know the "truth" behind cables? Go HERE
Finished my search!! No more spending money! The Ergo 2 are keepers! Now to sell what I no longer use.
-- Team Grado-- -- Team Phonak-- -- Team Snake Oil--
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03-04-2009, 04:03 AM
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1000+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,450
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EMS all the way. I enjoy a government-owned business more than private.
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03-04-2009, 05:04 AM
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1000+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: In my own little world beneath the sea (aka The Netherlands)
Posts: 1,088
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frihed89
I would worry less about the carrier than buying direct from China. Imagine that "it" arrives, you plug it in and it does not work. What then? This is not that uncommon a scenario. I hope it is small and doesn't cost much.
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Sure, this is always a risk. But how risky this is also depends on where you are buying your stuff. I think the OP is mainly talking about getting things from Audio-gd. A company that has proved that nothing leaves their factory without at least a 100 hours of burn-in and testing. Things may still go wrong and even if you don't want to sent your order back, Audio-gd will still help you every step of the way to get it functioning again.
Quite a different situation from ordering a piece of equipment of vague origin from some Chinese ebay seller.
Audio-gd shill signing off. 
__________________
I don't take myself seriously at all, so neither should you.
"The light at the end of the tunnel is often an oncoming train."Terry Pratchett (originally Robert Lowell)
"I don't know what placebo is because I have never had it, how do I get it?"Patrick82 <Gear is in Profile>
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