Lots of drivers selling in India from bajaao.com

[tcpip]

Hey, I just discovered this last night. Are you guys aware of bajaao.com? They seem to be stocking and selling lots of imported drivers, including a whole range of tweeters (including Morel, Vifa, Aurum Cantus, etc) and a lot of other sizes, including Dayton RS drivers. Prices (for one or two which I compared) were about 50-70% higher than their US prices. But then, frankly, very few of us have the resources to import, say, a top-class Dayton RS 12" subwoofer from the US, therefore the US prices are just academic.

These guys seem to have done a tie-up with Parts Express -- practically all the DIY related items I saw on their site are available on Parts Express. Nothing from Scanspeak, for instance.

Till now, I was under the impression that the only option the Indian DIYer has for drivers is diyaudiocart.com, and this site restricts you to surplus stock from Peerless India, a source with poor documentation. (I called up Corrson and checked, and they are no longer in the drivers business, in case you have any doubts.) Now, all of a sudden, we have five times as many drivers to choose from as I'd thought earlier.

Fantastic!

 

[GeorgeO]

There is a rumour that these guys may be shutting down. Does anyone know anything about it?

 

[tcpip]

There is a rumour that these guys may be shutting down. Does anyone know anything about it?

Ouch. No sooner do I discover something that they are on their way out. :sad: I am hoping that these chaps will survive longer than most DIY audio stories (like Corrson), because they are catering primarily to the pro audio community, which has both money and a lot action in India.

 

[spirovious]

Yes we are aware.Already some one started the thread.Few one not happy with their delivery time and service.
http://www.hifivision.com/diy/44218-brands-like-daytone-vifa-tangband-avilable-bajaao-but.html
http://www.hifivision.com/dealer-feedback-review/21103-my-experience-bajaao-com.html
http://www.hifivision.com/dealer-feedback-review/43393-bajaao-com-review-feedback.html

 

[tcpip]

Yes we are aware.Already some one started the thread.Few one not happy with their delivery time and service.

Too bad. I was hoping this would be a good source -- a sort of Indian Parts Express.

 

[trittya]

Too bad. I was hoping this would be a good source -- a sort of Indian Parts Express.

:lol: They sell parts express stuff with huge profit margins. Better to buy direct. Their driver specs' line-up is a blatant copy-paste rip-off job from the PE website. Sorry to disappoint you, mate.

 

[tcpip]

:lol: They sell parts express stuff with huge profit margins. Better to buy direct. Their driver specs' line-up is a blatant copy-paste rip-off job from the PE website. Sorry to disappoint you, mate.

Actually, I am not disappointed by the price markup or the specs copy-pasting. The price markup is justified if any Indian business is legally importing stuff, paying Customs and shipping, and handling the small quantities involved. (No Indian audio component reseller can import a container-ful of stuff by sea -- the shipping would probably be negligible in that case but the volume demands don't exist here.) And specs copy-paste -- I guess everyone who re-sells items are expected to reproduce the specs. Bajaao may even have PE's permission to reproduce specs. (I wish Bajaao would link to the datasheets from their product pages, though. PE pages have links to the PDFs.)

I presume you realise that all the enthusiasm Indian DIYers have for US prices is because we somehow manage to import items with personal baggage when some friend or relative is travelling? Zero shipping, zero customs. This is not a realistic Indian price for business. Even if I move just a step away from the friends-and-relatives channel, I see a more realistic picture -- I recently purchased a pair of Scanspeak Discovery tweeters from Madisound ($160/pair) and had them brought in through Borderlinx ($100+). If this is the more generic scenario, why should we complain about Bajaao's markup?

What would be worrying is if they have poor service, as some FMs have said earlier.

BTW, while all this was going on, I ordered some acoustic damping foam online from them. It got delivered in two working days, well packed, and without any problem. Their courier boy was going to land up and deliver after 5PM, so they called me to check whether it is okay. Nice service, completely clean and prompt delivery, and the items are "as described". I have zero complaint currently.

 

[captrajesh]

(No Indian audio component reseller can import a container-ful of stuff by sea -- the shipping would probably be negligible in that case but the volume demands don't exist here.)

One need not import container load of stuff. Even small quantities can be imported via sea route.

Sometime back, we 20 odd forumers have imported GR Research kits in a group buy at a cost of about 16.5 k USD and the consignment came via sea which was inclusive.

Whole thing including customs, handling etc cost us about 35%. Since we were novices, we would've ended up paying little more but regular importers would be able to get these organised even lesser.

You may read about it here: Best ever deal on loudspeaker kits

 

[navin advani]

Yes we are aware.Already some one started the thread.Few one not happy with their delivery time and service.

There is a rumour that these guys may be shutting down. Does anyone know anything about it?

Their prices are more than the prices I get at brick and mortar shops so why would anyone entertain Bajaao?

Online shops should have prices that are lower than a shop which has to pay for real estate (sales people, air conditioning, etc..) in South Mumbai (for example).

Sometime back, we 20 odd forumers have imported GR Research kits in a group buy at a cost of about 16.5 k USD and the consignment came via sea which was inclusive.

Capt. I fondly watched this whole saga unfold and thanks to your special efforts some 20 odd DIYers in India got the opportunity to build world class speakers for a fraction of the cost. No I did NOT participate as I was building some other speakers at the time. Great job Capt.

 

[trittya]

And specs copy-paste -- I guess everyone who re-sells items are expected to reproduce the specs. Bajaao may even have PE's permission to reproduce specs. (I wish Bajaao would link to the datasheets from their product pages, though. PE pages have links to the PDFs.)

@FM tcpip
I have reason not to disagree with what you've written.
Nevertheless, I was wondering if PE allowed Bajaao to re-brand their products too

Have a look at this small example here
Subwoofer Crossover 4 Ohm 130 Hz 200W | 260-221

Buy Online | Lowest Price | Free Shipping| BAJAAO Subwoofer Crossover 4 Ohm 130 Hz 200W - Buy online at the guaranteed lowest price in India - BAJAAO - Buy online and Review Musical Instruments, Pro Audio, Studio, P.A. Audio Equipment in India

The price difference isn't consistent, I remember 10 USD factory buyout drivers being sold for many times as much in Indian currency.

 

[tcpip]

The price difference isn't consistent, I remember 10 USD factory buyout drivers being sold for many times as much in Indian currency...

IMHO, it's okay if the price difference is not consistent. If they have made a promise and are breaking it, that would be unethical. If they have never told us anything like "We are buying from PE and we will always mark up 20% on the PE price and sell to you", then they are free to put higher or lower markups on certain items.

IMHO, we need to be very careful about assumptions of promises never actually made. We must not assume such promises exist. This is not just for the Bajaao case but for any transaction.

There is a famous, inexpensive mall in Singapore called Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road, which has a culture of accepting haggling. Indians love to go there for "cheap prices". They sometimes go there, see a cellphone for, say, $200, haggle the price down to $150, and buy it. Then the come out and see the same model selling somewhere else for $120, sticker price. They complain to the bureau of fair trade of the Singapore Govt. These complaints have piled up against Lucky Plaza. As per information I have, all these complaints have been investigated and then dismissed, because the govt agency kept hitting one barrier: did the Lucky Plaza shop make a promise which they did not keep?. And there was never any answer to this question. Did Lucky Plaza ever claim their prices would be cheapest in Singapore? Never any answer to this question.

I know I'm going OT, but when the discussion is about a vendor, these basic principles of fair trade may need to be kept up front and centre. Hope this helps.

Bajaao is a trader. The USP of successful trading is to exploit arbitrage opportunities, to exploit demand-supply gaps. Therefore, markups must be different for different items to respond smartly to the different demand-supply profiles of the US and Indian markets.

 

[trittya]

Its one thing for us to have an opinion and quite another to thrust it upon others. I for one, do not intend to do so with mine. But I have to admit that I was/am not comfortable with the 'Bajaao' drivers' sales practices and will not be. Sorry if I sound indifferent.

FM tcpip, OTOH, is, IMHO, too kind and magnanimous in his perception of the said 'trader'. I choose prophylactic pragmatism even at the risk of being dubbed "spoilsport". I don't mean to argue needlessly with a more learned friend but I daresay that, as a customer, I'd like to retain the privilege to exercise due discretion in my dealings.

In conclusion, here's some food for thought that I'd like to share

Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.
- David Gemmell, Fall of Kings

"Everyone has to make their own decisions. I still believe in that. You just have to be able to accept the consequences without complaining."
- Grace Jones


Cheerio

 

[tcpip]

FM tcpip, OTOH, is, IMHO, too kind and magnanimous...

Those who know me in real life would be falling off their chairs, jaws hitting the floor first, if they saw anyone accusing me of being kind and magnanimous. :lol:

... a more learned friend...

Now I am falling off my chair.

 

[sbg]

Their prices are more than the prices I get at brick and mortar shops so why would anyone entertain Bajaao?

Online shops should have prices that are lower than a shop which has to pay for real estate (sales people, air conditioning, etc..) in South Mumbai (for example).



Capt. I fondly watched this whole saga unfold and thanks to your special efforts some 20 odd DIYers in India got the opportunity to build world class speakers for a fraction of the cost. No I did NOT participate as I was building some other speakers at the time. Great job Capt.

yes ,Thanks to Capt.
I could just finish the build last month and could get few hours of listening since then. I'm not that articulate in describing my impression ( and please dont expect that out of me!), But I am Impressed.
Currently being driven by Denon 2310.(not sure how these sound with other amps - but this is something I will pursue next year when time permits)

hmmm, looks like I take every opportunity to thanks Capt. but feel this is still not enough for the kind of efforts undertaken.

 

[captrajesh]

looks like I take every opportunity to thanks Capt. but feel this is still not enough for the kind of efforts undertaken.

I'm flattered

The credit should go to all those who have participated and had trusted me, a rank stranger for most of them and most importantly, had the perseverace which actually helped in the deal materialising.

Now it is bad that not all (including yours truly) did start their builds. I wish we could do something to make this happen.

 

[trittya]

Those who know me in real life would be falling off their chairs, jaws hitting the floor first, if they saw anyone accusing me of being kind and magnanimous. :lol:

Now I am falling off my chair.

Tarun Bhai, on either count, I kid thee not, my friend. hyeah:
I am an ignoramus especially when it comes to tech-stuff. If it were not for a little commonsense,
I'd be branded with much 'fancier' nouns/adjectives . . .

Cheerio

 

[bibin3210]

I'm flattered

The credit should go to all those who have participated and had trusted me, a rank stranger for most of them and most importantly, had the perseverace which actually helped in the deal materialising.

Now it is bad that not all (including yours truly) did start their builds. I wish we could do something to make this happen.

Hi Capt. Rajesh,

I have three pairs of unfinished cabinets for GR-Research XLS Encore with me. I can provide those either as unfinished (not flat pack) or finished .

Thanks,
Bibin

 

[captrajesh]

@bibin3210, thank you for the offer. I've posted a link in th relevant thread. I'm looking to build the X-SLS, X-CS, A/V1RS & the Rhythmik Servo Sub, all together.

 

[indialogue]

Hi Capt. Rajesh,

I have three pairs of unfinished cabinets for GR-Research XLS Encore with me. I can provide those either as unfinished (not flat pack) or finished .

Thanks,
Bibin

Hi Bibin and Capt. Rajesh, does anyone have unused GR-Research Groupbuy drivers with them? If yes, I am interested in picking them up along with these cabinets from Bibin. Thanks!

 

[navin advani]

Its one thing for us to have an opinion and quite another to thrust it upon others. I for one, do not intend to do so with mine. But I have to admit that I was/am not comfortable with the 'Bajaao' drivers' sales practices and will not be. Sorry if I sound indifferent.

Don't worry, you are in good company. Neither am I.