Just browsed through this article. Are we also in a similar boat when it comes to pricing?
EXPOSED: KEF Price Gouging, Hi Fi Gear in OZ | channelnews
EXPOSED: KEF Price Gouging, Hi Fi Gear in OZ | channelnews
Hi based on my experience, I can say that most of the AV product sold in India is around 30 to 40% costlier than the price sold in US and UK.Just browsed through this article. Are we also in a similar boat when it comes to pricing?
EXPOSED: KEF Price Gouging, Hi Fi Gear in OZ | channelnews
There are many things cheaper in India vs USA . Employing household workers to do daily chores so that you can spend more time listening to music is much cheaper in India. For eg, Atorvastatin most commonly prescribed anti cholesterol drug is at least 10 times cheaper in India compared to USA.Tannoy tfx 5.1 available in UK for 179 GBP = INR 15000, mrp India INR 45000
Tannoy HTS 101 XP, UK mrp 599 GBP, available at 339 GBP=INR 29000, India mrp INR 68000
Polk tl1600, US mrp $399, available at $299=INR 21500, India mrp INR 42000
This is in the budget range only.
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Can't agree with those points.There are many things cheaper in India vs USA . Employing household workers to do daily chores so that you can spend more time listening to music is much cheaper in India. For eg, Atorvastatin most commonly prescribed anti cholesterol drug is at least 10 times cheaper in India compared to USA.
Essential commodities are cheaper in poorer countries with low per capita income (at least on paper we're a poor country , not talking about black economy) ; whereas luxury commodities (will be heavily taxed to maintain social justice point of view etc) are usually much costlier in poorer countries. We need not feel bad about it.
There are many things cheaper in India vs USA . Employing household workers to do daily chores so that you can spend more time listening to music is much cheaper in India
whereas luxury commodities (will be heavily taxed to maintain social justice point of view etc) are usually much costlier in poorer countries. We need not feel bad about it.
We are being looted taking advantage of our love for hi fi. And unfortunately we have no other go. Even in case of used market, the sellers are screwing us with whatever price they wish
.... Simply buy something cheaper, no one is putting a gun to your head to buy these.
Cheers,
Sid
It's not about cheaper or costlier, it's about how price of AV gears are being jacked-up for due and undue reasons.
And cars/clothes/apartments-villas/shoes/jewelry/alcohol/diesel/petrol/eating in restaurants/taxes etc. are not "jacked up" but fairly priced? I can add a thousand items to that list.
Cheers,
Sid
Probably, I can add more than that; but we are not discussing cars/clothes/apartments-villas/shoes/jewelry/alcohol/diesel/petrol/eating in restaurants/taxes.
Completely agree, I doubt distributers are completely responsible for this, of course lack of proper audition is mostly their responsibility, but pricing is controlled by the company I believe. There was detailed discussion about iphone price being 10k costlier in India on economic times a year ago ; it was very clear that Apple owning a niche market controlled the prices even for 2yr old models. Distributors know that people have many means nowadays to get products at a cheaper price from abroad if the difference is more than 30%.My take on this is very simple - if a distributor overprices their products then that product will have a very limited sales potential regardless of how good it sounds and eventually the distributor is changed because the manufacturer is not happy with the sales volumes or the product is withdrawn entirely from that market.
Consequently high end market in India is very small and dynamic. Products keep coming and going. I have seen at-least 4-5 decent high end brands withdrawn from the market and exiting the country entirely in the past 2 years due to slow sales and I have seen 2-3 brands change distributors.
Lastly I disagree on the term price gouging. If a product is a life saving drug that is manufactured by only 1 company and that company decides the double or triple prices (like one company in US that was charging 700% more for a drug after it bought the brand from another company) then it is definitely price gouging. OTOH loudspeakers that are priced double, and are just disposable income purchases can hardly qualify in the category of price gouging products. Simply buy something cheaper, no one is putting a gun to your head to buy these.
Cheers,
Sid
I just wanted to highlight the fact that, majority of other things are cheaper in India compared to USA. Albeit certain electronics or audiophile products are costlier here but that's entirely due to a company policy.Can't agree with those points.
1. This hike is not uniform. Dali zensor 1 pair. Amazon.de price 290 eur=20000 INR, India MRP INR 23700. So a lot depends on the importer.
2. For shipping and customs upto 40% can be added. But 2-3 times is too much
3. Medicines are cheaper here because of generic indian companies, not because of govt subsidy (not talking about free drugs in govt hospitals). Same applies somewhat to hifi also. Sonodyne, Norge, etc are cheaper as compared to comparator imported products, though opinion on quality is widely variable.
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I'd like to live in country where I can enjoy my music leisurely on Sunday with affordable speakers rather than wasting the only free day vacuuming, dish washing, mowing the lawn when my high end speakers (which are cheaper than everywhere else) eat dust. Its just my thinking not meant to offend anyone thinking otherwise.Yes, you are right. I still remember Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade not paying ' the minimum legal wage' to her domestic help in U.S.
Yes, Hi-Fi ( even Mid Hi-Fi) will continue to remain 'niche'
But are you sure, that it's only govt duty and tax that make Hi-Fi AV gears' cost dear?
If we start voicing our opinion strongly in public forums like this, Manufacturers will have to listen and mend their ways.