Is it wise to buy US imported AVR?

Thanks for reply... can anyone share personal or detailed experience...as i have to decide

I'm on my second AV component bought by me on Amazon US sitting in India and hand carried by kind friends and family. Price savings can be huge compared to buying here if you buy a year old model, even after factoring in the voltage transformer. So I'm an advocate for it. But I have no experience with the other type of seller - the ones from ebay/OLX.
 
I'm on my second AV component bought by me on Amazon US sitting in India and hand carried by kind friends and family. Price savings can be huge compared to buying here if you buy a year old model, even after factoring in the voltage transformer. So I'm an advocate for it. But I have no experience with the other type of seller - the ones from ebay/OLX.
How much the voltage transformer can cost
 
I wouldn't recommend buying Hi-Fi audio components directly from the US because of a purely musical reason. Any step down converter added to the component would risk increasing the impedance and hence restricting current to the component which in turn would compromise the performance. Besides you would need more power cables and other power accessories which would increase the cost to a point where it wouldn't make any sense to import the product instead of buying it locally if available.
 
A good step down transformer will cost between 2.5K for a 500 watts one and around 3.5k for a 1000 watts one. (incl 18% GST)
I use two 1000 watts MX transformers to power my Onkyo and Bose AM speakers. There is some hum from the unit but no issues with the sound and performance.
Around 4 years and I am extremely happy about it.
 
This is my personal experience...

I was contemplating buying an AVR in Delhi, and wanted to go for Yamaha. One thing is you don't get all models, availability with good dealers depends on 'jo peeche se aa raha hai' i.e. Whats coming in the market. So, i got a quote for v483 of around 40k in Delhi. Couple weeks later, i got a chance to have a US trip and brought back the same model for 297 USD that equates to around 20.5k! A hefty price difference of almost 20k.

Yes, had to invest 2.5k in a 500VA step down Tx (that also runs my 200w Energy Take Classic sub), but still was a good deal. And the best part? My AVR is Made in Malaysia (somehow feels way better than reading Made in China)
 
This is my personal experience...

I was contemplating buying an AVR in Delhi, and wanted to go for Yamaha. One thing is you don't get all models, availability with good dealers depends on 'jo peeche se aa raha hai' i.e. Whats coming in the market. So, i got a quote for v483 of around 40k in Delhi. Couple weeks later, i got a chance to have a US trip and brought back the same model for 297 USD that equates to around 20.5k! A hefty price difference of almost 20k.

Yes, had to invest 2.5k in a 500VA step down Tx (that also runs my 200w Energy Take Classic sub), but still was a good deal. And the best part? My AVR is Made in Malaysia (somehow feels way better than reading Made in China)

Good deal... congrats.
Just wondering, how much duty did you pay at IGI?
 
I wouldn't recommend buying Hi-Fi audio components directly from the US because of a purely musical reason. Any step down converter added to the component would risk increasing the impedance and hence restricting current to the component which in turn would compromise the performance. Besides you would need more power cables and other power accessories which would increase the cost to a point where it wouldn't make any sense to import the product instead
ofuying it locally if available.
I choose to disagree on this.
 
I choose to disagree on this.

I think most of us would agree to disagree on this, never heard that using step-up/down transformer could lead to degradation in sound quality or functioning of an equipment.
Its quite evident is that most of the stuff coming to Indian market is something which is outdated in other countries (example TVs), and at the end of the day its a profit game for dealers/importers.
However, I don't know if same equipment/model sold in US is different than the one sold in India (like made in Korea for US and made in Chine for Asian market).
 
[QUOTE="guddu478, post: 790677, member: 83244"
However, I don't know if same equipment/model sold in US is different than the one sold in India (like made in Korea for US and made in Chine for Asian market).[/QUOTE]

If you ask me my own personal experience, i will say "YES", they are different even between same model numbers of the same company. How else would you justify high failure rates of AVRs and Laptops purchased from India.
 
IMO the quality of products imported by dealers in India is Level 3 or Level 4. The same model if bought from US is Level 1 quality. This is mostly to reduce import cost but still charge premium rates to customers.

I have had similar experience with Laptop purchases too as my own personal laptop purchased in 2010 from US is rock steady with no issues. I did not have pleasant exprience buying my earlier laptop in 2007 from Thane dealer and it failed miserably in just 2.5 years. Again the quality of the imports is not good by Indian dealers or maybe Chinese supplier gives only reject materials to India. Cant say.
Even I believe so. The quality and consumer laws in USA are very stringent hence the quality of products is good. Whereas in India there are no proper laws and implementation to safe guard the consumer.

I have also imported an avr from USA. And if bought strategically in a sale the price difference can be huge. You just then have to worry about carrying it safely, which is not a big deal. Usually there will be no hassles with customs.
Then you require just a step down transformer which costs anywhere between 2.5k to 10k depending on load and quality.
As for warranty, I don't care much for it as mostly warranty is given according to the life of equipment they know the equipment can work for that much time without hassle. Mostly products malfunction after the warranty is over. It's just rare cases that products malfunction within warranty (at least that has been my experience).
 
I have bought my processor plus amp (instead of AVR) from the US through Emotiva. The difference is that they give worldwide warranty as well as ship a 230V device. Regular AVR would recommend local purchase.
 
I think most of us would agree to disagree on this, never heard that using step-up/down transformer could lead to degradation in sound quality or functioning of an equipment.
Its quite evident is that most of the stuff coming to Indian market is something which is outdated in other countries (example TVs), and at the end of the day its a profit game for dealers/importers.
However, I don't know if same equipment/model sold in US is different than the one sold in India (like made in Korea for US and made in Chine for Asian market).

Agree. An Indian dealer may say with confidence that ''Saar, sound quality will degrade with transformer"...and as a consumer, every time you watch Pacific Rim on your imported AVR, and even if it amazes you with its ocean wars, your mind will still take you back to dealer and tell you 'man, something can still be more amazing, what if the original power supply was 220v". I find it just perceptive. I got a step down Tx with stabilization (to handle input from 160-230v), and its as good as it can get. I couldn't notice a difference (tested good phones on both voltages).

There is another thing, which may be unique to Delhi. Here, ppl try to patch you up with whatever product is giving them higher margins. For eg. local dealer was so confident bout Marantz 1508 (entry level M AVR), that he trashed Yamaha and Denon no end. Even though 1508 lays out 50w power per channel (Y or Denon have 80-100w at entry level). When you corner them with data like this, they go like 'saar, the M chip is long lasting'. And when you tell them that Y has one of the lowest failure rates in AVRs, they go like 'saar quality has degraded in last few mnths'. And next would be sound quality degradation with transformer lol. So, if there is one thing these folks always have in stock, its rabid confidence :)
 
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