[HeadphoneAddict]

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Originally Posted by milezone /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've tried to order a pair just now and during checkout it says the total cost is $1526.00 could someone let me know why this is. I intend to wait until the aforementioned price is available. Or is it available and I have to place the order to see the price? Thank you.

You have to order the first time by phone to get the discount price, or you join the buyers club online for $35 and then the discount will show up in the shopping cart.

I called to order mine, and once I did my first order I became a member of the nslonlinebuyersclub.com and can log in to get future discounts, and that allowed me skip the $35 member fee.

 

[alphaproject]

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Originally Posted by Shifter /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wouldn't spend over $200, period. I mean one thousand dollars for a pair of headphones make me go @_@. I spent $80.00 on my first pair of earphones and I thought that was too much.. you must REALLY like your music , or you're just nuts

I'm there with you dude.....but I did just blop down $158 shipped for the Beyer DT770's......oh well. Only.... because they were $229 everywhere else. It makes me think I got a good deal for brand new ones. Used were going for $112-130 so.... how is that NOT a good deal.

The Senn 280 pros were just cracking and breaking......sound fine still.....but they are lacking bass and the highs are quite not as crisp as my home theater. They are good, but after I heard my own synth song on my home theater, I was hearing stuff that "Came out" so much more on my Home Theater than in the Senns.....

Perhaps the DT770's will give me more for the money..... I'm hoping!

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphaproject /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm there with you dude.....but I did just blop down $158 shipped for the Beyer DT770's......oh well. Only.... because they were $229 everywhere else. It makes me think I got a good deal for brand new ones. Used were going for $112-130 so.... how is that NOT a good deal. The Senn 280 pros were just cracking and breaking......sound fine still.....but they are lacking bass and the highs are quite not as crisp as my home theater. They are good, but after I heard my own synth song on my home theater, I was hearing stuff that "Came out" so much more on my Home Theater than in the Senns..... Perhaps the DT770's will give me more for the money..... I'm hoping!

There are several versions of DT770, I hope you bought the version you want

 

[Turgidson]

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Originally Posted by hawat /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the US have to pay some kind of tax as well to import the product.

Yes, but import tax is usually much lower than VAT (at least, that's the case in Europe when a shipment goes through customs: it's the VAT that is the heaviest part of the deal...). VAT is around 20%, and depends on the countries...

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I believe the online seller get this headphone directly from ultrasone so there is no middleman.

This online seller, maybe - and that could explain lower prices. But often, there are exclusive distributors, who are just there to centralize marketing operations and dispatch the items to the retailers at the end of the chain - and these distributors are the reason why some audio equipment is horribly expensive in some countries.

Exemple: Grado is hell expensive outside the USA, because
1°/ they forbid US retailers to ship overseas
2°/ their exclusive distributors (middlemen...) are practicing huuuuge margins
On the opposite, Alessandro ships their products by themselves and worldwide, so they're a much cheaper alternative...

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I don't think that justifiy paying 100% more in germany for a product built in germany.

It certainly does not "justify" it, but it explains how the prices can rise so much. Alas there's very little the end consumer can do...

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Other european brands like sennheiser are actually much cheaper here than in the US which should be how it is.

Depends on the country, really. 300€ for Senn HD650 in France (and some retailers have them priced even higher...), is that "cheap" ?

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I expect to pay more in europe for a prodcut made in japan or in the USA and I expect the same thing for japanese or americans buying prodcuts from europe.

Due to Europe's VAT rates, this is very, very far from always being the case.
Look at AKG K701, for instance: 259€ from Thomann (and they're definitely not among the expensive shops) in Europe, 299$ from BHPhotoVideo in the USA - VAT explain a fair bit, the rest is the bigger market thus increased competition in the USA. Unless your dollar/euro parity is far off, I'd better buy it from the States (and AFAIK, your VAT isn't 20%). Or look at Jan Meier's amps: the difference is in the VAT (and a dollar/euro parity for which Jan has been very nice with dollar-based people).

Thus, sorry to crush your expectations...

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How come Ultrasone can't do the same thing?

They're not the only ones. Oh, no, they're not the only ones... Yes, this one is further off than the majority of products, but paying more in Europe for audio stuff isn't new, alas...

 

[alphaproject]

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Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are several versions of DT770, I hope you bought the version you want

I looked at the box, and it's the new ones without the beyerdynamics on the side. The ones that are on the website now and 80 ohms.

I checked his feedback and a few DT770's already got postive feedback so I figured that was proof enough for me.

 

[Cankin]

Just a question, are there any income taxes in VAT exercising countries??


alphaproject: hope you enjoy your new can!!

 

[Turgidson]

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Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a question, are there any income taxes in VAT exercising countries??

Yes, income tax does exist as well (at least for the countries I know of). But VAT and income tax are really two different things, one should not try to exchange one for the other - not the right place to debate more about this, I'd say.

 

[hawat]

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Originally Posted by Turgidson /img/forum/go_quote.gif Depends on the country, really. 300€ for Senn HD650 in France (and some retailers have them priced even higher...), is that "cheap" ?

Just look online you can find them new at around 220 euros that's thats definitely not more expensive than what you pay for them in the USA.

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Originally Posted by Turgidson /img/forum/go_quote.gif This online seller, maybe - and that could explain lower prices. But often, there are exclusive distributors, who are just there to centralize marketing operations and dispatch the items to the retailers at the end of the chain - and these distributors are the reason why some audio equipment is horribly expensive in some countries.

I m talking about the edition 9 and from european seller.
From what i have heard, ultrasone send them directly to the online seller so there is no middle man which could not explain the high price.
Even if import tax is lower than vat let's say if it is only at 1% which isnt the case

, we should be paying 19% more than in the us. There is 81% lost somewhere here.
Is the the online seller or ultrasone making the huge margin?

Oh well not that it matters anymore I got a friend to send mine from the us at almost half the price.

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turgidson /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, income tax does exist as well (at least for the countries I know of). But VAT and income tax are really two different things, one should not try to exchange one for the other - not the right place to debate more about this, I'd say.

OMG, income tax and VAT together

PS: and no, I'm not trying to debate, that's why I started with "Just a question"

 

[Turgidson]

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Originally Posted by hawat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just look online you can find them new at around 220 euros that's thats definitely not more expensive than what you pay for them in the USA.

In France ? Highly doubt it, I looked at online price comparators before making that statement. They're cheaper in other EU states, for sure, but the distributor's policy (and/or the shops' policy) in France is really infamous.

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I m talking about the edition 9 and from european seller. From what i have heard, ultrasone send them directly to the online seller so there is no middle man which could not explain the high price. Even if import tax is lower than vat let's say if it is only at 1% which isnt the case , we should be paying 19% more than in the us. There is 81% lost somewhere here. Is the the online seller or ultrasone making the huge margin?

I don't know, I'd guess they're the only ones who do.

About prices, don't forget there can be some hedging previously made, and that an Euro manufacturer might want to lower its margin in dollar-based countries in order to remain competitive there... (for instance Jan Meier's current parity is definitely not the official $/€ parity). More generally, the US market for these products seems higher than the EU market, so that tends to pull the prices down as well.

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Oh well not that it matters anymore I got a friend to send mine from the us at almost half the price.

Beware, if you get caught by the customs and the declaration is proved as fake, the penalty can be huge (some people did get such a mishap...).


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Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif OMG, income tax and VAT together PS: and no, I'm not trying to debate, that's why I started with "Just a question"

Income tax doesn't hit poor people, VAT's for everyone (and proportionally hits more the low and middle classes, as they tend to put less money in financial products). Anyway, cannot compare different systems and different concepts...