[coolbluesurface]

I'd like to buy the new Audio-Technica AT-HA20 amp, but there's only one online retailer in the U.S. and their price is MSRP. I found the amp at Amazon.co.JP for 9,300 yen (~$80 USD) but they won't ship the item to a U.S. address. The item is not on the amazon.com USA site.

Pic of the amp:

Shopping links:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/...qid=1123052665
and a little cheaper @ 9,000 yen at http://www.rakuten.co.jp/tenjinbest/...702311/709175/

Would anyone in Japan would be kind enough to accept my Paypal payment or Xoom payment and buy the amp for me?

Maybe the shipping would be so expensive that I should just forget it?

Well if you'd like to help, I would be glad to return the favor somehow. Just send me a message. I'll need to find out the shipping charges to zip code 63110 in America.

Not sure if this post belongs in the Amps forum, For Sale, or Member's Lounge. Admin please relocate if needed.

If other people are also interested in getting the amp, just post in this thread- maybe we can arrange it all together.

 

[gpalmer]

It might be a better idea to ask them to PM you or else obfuscate your E-mail address in some way or else your gonna get a LOT of spam...

 

[walkman666]

Hmmm, interesting. I did not know about this amp nor the other one that A-T carries (HA-2) that is, I'm guessing, portable. I wonder if anyone owns any of these and how they fare.

- walkman

 

[sionghchan]

Hmmm...you can get it from http://www.AudioCubes.com

AudioCubes is an American Business with a warehouse in Japan.

It is one of Head-fi's sponsors. Here's a link to it:
http://www.audiocubes.com/product/Au...phone_Amp.html

Quite competitively priced at USD$179!

 

[ayt999]

he's using a picture of the amp with an audiocubes.com watermark... so I think he knows that they carry it.

 

[sionghchan]

Hmmm.....just my carelessness.... Didn't look carefully at the picture..

Oh well, why is he not getting it from AudioCubes then? Cost?

Just disregard my previous post then..

 

[coolbluesurface]

Of course Audiocubes is a Head-Fi sponsor, and I always check there when looking at gear. They are the "only one online retailer in the U.S." that I referred to in the original post.
But loyalty to a sponsor should not require me to pay $180 when Amazon Japan has it for about $80.

(BTW, I don't consider an item to be "competitively priced" when there literaly is no competition in the whole country and I find it overseas for half the cost.)

Anyway, thanks for the posts and if anyone has heard this amp please let us know what you think.

 

[rx7_fan]

Cool blue that's a good find. I was looking at that amp as well. FOr $80 it's sure worth it. I'm sure it's up to par w/ a cmoy at least. I'm just speculating of course, but i'm in the same boat you are. I want it also

check this place out
http://www.yodobashi.com/enjoy/more/.../33840720.html

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolbluesurface But loyalty to a sponsor should not require me to pay $180 when Amazon Japan has it for about $80. (BTW, I don't consider an item to be "competitively priced" when there literaly is no competition in the whole country and I find it overseas for half the cost.)

Assuming you want EMS shipping, which is like global priority mail, shipping will cost you around $40 for this item. I don't know if Audiocubes includes shipping or not.

I wish you luck finding someone to help you with this. Frankly, having shipped tons of things for people from Japan, it's a pain in the ass, and I wouldn't have done it for something this cheap.

No offense, but there's a reason Audio Cubes charges the prices it does and I've always thought it was a pretty good market price. They deserve their profit and if you're not willing to pay it... I guess I'm not so sympathetic.

Best regards,

-Jason

 

[Hawainpanda]

hey, coolsblueface, I have a friend who's been in Japan for around 2.5 months, he can help you, pm or email me if you want my friend to help you out

 

[Hawainpanda]

jjcha, you make it seem as if trying to get something for a cheap price is bad...why not get something cheaper...

also, just because audiocubes is a sponser doesn't mean you have to waste money with them when you have the option of getting something cheaper

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawainpanda jjcha, you make it seem as if trying to get something for a cheap price is bad...why not get something cheaper... also, just because audiocubes is a sponser doesn't mean you have to waste money with them when you have the option of getting something cheaper

What are you talking about? To get an item shipped from Japan costs $40, plus the hassle of shipping it here (and the duties, taxes, etc. Have fun declaring a piece of equipment like that as $8). There is a reason why it's so expensive at Audiocubes, and it's because they charge extremely little for shipping and have a 'no hassle' policy.

Now if you have someone to go to Japan for you, buy it, then come back over here and deliver it to you, then sure, buy it from Japan. But who really would do that for free.. plus waste $80 of declarable goods.

 

[coolbluesurface]

Thanks for the input.

Nice to hear from those who have experience and knowledge about how expensive it is (and what a pain it is) to send something from Japan to USA. Sorry for offending anyone with my naive post. I did ask in the original post: "Maybe the shipping would be so expensive that I should just forget it? "

I had a feeling I would get reprimanded for wanting to avoid paying retail price at a sponsor. In the future I'll remind myself that this is not a hobby for poor people. And yes, I'm grateful that Audiocubes makes Audio-Technica readily available to Americans and supports this site.

I messaged Hawainpanda and will see if he has any viable connections- thanks Hawainpanda.

If nothing works out it's ok. Sorry for being a cheap pain in the a**.

:removes kick-me sign from back:

 

[Hawainpanda]

i ship a lot of stuff overseas, maybe not to japan but to the UK and taiwan...it takes me 20 sec to fill out custom papers and I always declare my item as a birthday gift...cheesy , but it works

nyways, paying for it to get shipped here is still much cheaper, alot cheaper

 

[coolbluesurface]

Update: Audiocubes now has their price at $150 on their website as of 8/4/05.