[sofeshue]

I have searched google and read lots of thread, but I still cannot find a shop that sellers Grado SR80i in a reasonable price in CANADA. Amazon.ca puts the price at $169, which is atrociously high. U.S. stores are subject to shipping restrictions. The normal price in US is $99. I would like to pay no more than $120 (US dollars) for it (incl. tax, shipping). Could someone help me?
 
I am living in Vancouver, BC, so if there is a store selling Grado in a good price, that will be great.
 
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I ordered SR80i from http://echohifi.com/, only $90 + ($13 shipping to Canada). God bless me, haha.

 

[estreeter]

Holy crap - that is a colossal ripoff. Even here in Oz, where there is only ONE distributor/reseller (in a country of 23 million ..), the price is $99 for the 60 and $138 for the 80i .....
 
http://www.audiophile.com.au/products_grado.html
 
 
 
 

 

[kite7]

This place sells Grado in Vancouver called Headphone Bar located on 245 West Broadway. I'm not sure about the price, you're going to have to call.
http://headphonebar.com/
 
or you can check this online store
http://www.stereotypeaudio.com/store/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=1&products_id=94&osCsid=4b7fd4e3992a5a62763fc0e0413c06f5

 

[eriktheg]

Hey, I read somewhere today on Headfi that some guy got his SR80's for $99 with free shipping and he is in Canada.... You should look around the threads a little, maybe you will find it.?

 

[maverickronin]

Yep its a rip off.  Grado are about the worst of the price fixin' bastards in this market.
 
You could check out the Alessandro/Grado MS1.  Its somewhere in between the SR80 and SR125 with slightly toned down highs and they will ship international last I heard.

 

[sofeshue]

Quote:

This place sells Grado in Vancouver called Headphone Bar located on 245 West Broadway. I'm not sure about the price, you're going to have to call.
http://headphonebar.com/
 
or you can check this online store
http://www.stereotypeaudio.com/store/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=1&products_id=94&osCsid=4b7fd4e3992a5a62763fc0e0413c06f5

Price from headphonebar.com is 144.95, stereotypeaudio's price is 139. It does not make huge difference. But I am still reluctant to buy it at more than $140, which is sold in a neighboring country for only $99!

 

[kite7]

You're better off buying from ebay or from the classified section on head-fi if you're trying to save because there really isn't anything cheaper than stereotypeaudio in Canada. On the bright side, you get warranty that is taken care of by a grado distributor in Canada and you get to audition a pair if you buy locally. If I were you I'd just buy a pair of SR-60i from Headphone Bar since the difference between that and the SR80i is extremely small and is not worth the difference since they come with the same pads unlike back then when the SR80 came with bowl pads.

 

[dscythe]

If you have any friends on the states side of the border that you can get it shipped to then that would work, or see if anyone you know has a p.o. box there.

 

[komebudu]

.. don't you want to consider Alessandro MS1i..?  Off course it's not the same character as SR80..   but  USD109.90 from direct manufacturer is a bargain...

 

[mcgsxr]

I own both the sr60i, and the MS1i.  I bought both used off the classifieds here in the past month.  Way better deals than anywhere in Canada.  I essentially got both pairs for around the price of a new set of 60i's locally.
 
Stock I prefer the MS1i by a wide margin.  Having modded the 60i's (check out Bilavideo here) and added bowl pads, the 60's are vastly better.
 
Good luck in the hunt!

 

[eucariote]

Grados of all stripes also show up at http://www.canuckaudiomart.com (Canadian audio gear classified site) all the time.  I bought my SR225 there for what SR80 go for new in Canada.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Yep its a rip off.  Grado are about the worst of the price fixin' bastards in this market.
 

 
I dont think anyone with easy access to electronics and headphones at Amazon prices should complain about prices. You pay a fraction of the rest of what most resellers ask for cans elsewhere.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I dont think anyone with easy access to electronics and headphones at Amazon prices should complain about prices. You pay a fraction of the rest of what most resellers ask for cans elsewhere.

You do know that the "amazon price" on Grados is the same as everywhere else in the country, right?  Yes, its even more of a rip-off in other countries, but that's entirely because of Grado's export restrictions and fixed prices that don't fluctuate with exchange rates.
 
You do know that this has nothing to do with the wholesale prices Grado charges retailers, right?  Grado isn't covering costs, or even making extra profit.  If retailers don't toe the line on MSRPs Grado won't sell them any more pairs of headphones.
 
You do know that local distributors in your own country also pull this same kind of crap, right?

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Quote:

 
You do know that local distributors in your own country also pull this same kind of crap, right?

My point is that they pull much worse crap because they have a monopoly, and I dont agree that Amazon prices reflect RRP in the US.
 

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

My point is that they pull much worse crap because they have a monopoly, and I dont agree that Amazon prices reflect RRP in the US.
 

"Amazon prices" certainly don't represent MSRP in most cases, but for Grados they do.  They do for all Grado models which makes them worse than many other headphone companies which only seem to enforce such stupid policies with their top tier models.  That, along with the export restriction is why I say Grado is one of the worst offenders.
 
They aren't alone in stupid business practices though.  Sennheiser won't let dealers sell even open box/returned HD800s at less than MSRP.  There's one on Headroom right now and they're forced to charge MSRP and throw in free extras to make it worth it!