Should i buy Amp from Tokyo Or Blore ? -- Urgent

music4mhell

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Hello Guys,

I am here in tokyo for past one month and 1 more month remaining.

I will make a Hifi Stereo Audio system once i am back to Blore.

I was wondering, should i buy the integrated Amp from Tokyo or Blore ?
There can be various issues related to Warranty, Custom, Settings etc.

Kindly give your valuable and expert suggestions :)
 
1. Customs will not be a problem. You can now carry duty free electronic items costing up to Rs 45,000/- . You have been there for over a month and you qualify for this . It could even be two items but totally costing less than Rs45,000/- . If it's expensive but used, then carry a receipt. MOST times they don't bother at all unless it's very large and heavy . Never bring two units of the same type. Like two amplifiers ! Two speakers is OK ( stereo !).

2. Check the price of an equivalent amp on an Indian web site. If the difference is 10% or so, maybe it's not worth the trouble carrying it unless you really have nothing else that's significant to carry. If you really are traveling light then do carry the amp !

3. You can put it in your check in suitcase without the original box which would be large. Your box would be marked with chalk at the incoming customs XRay. This tells the customs guys that you have something large inside the box.
If it really isn't over 45K value and you don't have gold and other highly valuable items ( jewellery etc), you can boldly walk to the green channel and Tell the officer ( before you are asked !) that you are carrying an amplifier and it costs.....whatever. No need to produce receipts unless they ask you to do that. He will ask you if you have any other valuable items . You respond to that ( truthfully !). Usually a "I have no other expensive electronic goods or items" will be accepted. They will let you go. Remember they are great judges of character. So don't lie !

4. If you REALLY want THAT particular amp, buy it. You can bring it in the original box. No problem with that. But that is one extra check in item. May affect your free weight limits. Check out how much excess baggage costs .

5. There is NO restriction on bringing in MOST things. You just have to pay duty ( about 36% or so) on the difference amount. ( Actual value - Rs 45,000 free allowance) X 36% . I think there is a restriction on TV's.
If your amp costs Rs50,000/- you needn't actually mention it. They aren't very strict about it. But if it's 65K , then better you tell them.

Bottom line, do whatever you want to. The only thing you have to face is duty if it is significantly above 45K. If it's 70 K, The duty would be about 9K !
That is just 13% above the actual cost ! Do some maths ! ;)
Also note that if you have only simple things in addition , they will not add that to your amp's cost ! They are generally pretty nice guys these days.
 
Thanks a lott lott lott for your so explained and structured reply.

Although i asked abt the Amp, i got all the knowledge abt the Custom duties also :D , good for me..

My weight limit is 40 KG check in .. but i have only abt 15-20 kgs luggages , so i thought of getting something from tokyo..

Thanks for your suggestions, i wil do some RnD and then decide whether i should buy from here or blore.


Thanks again :)
 
I have a jap spec amp, a yamaha dsp ax 1. Its got a 100 v input. I founf out that the US spec and europe spec (110v and 220v units) have the same input transformer with different taps - so you can de-solder and solder and get a 110 unit to 220 and vice versa, but the japan unit is entirely different 100v transformer with only a 100v tap.

Just something to check and be sure of.

Also annoyingly, the japan spec unit has a japanese only manual.
Cool.
Srinath.
 
That's an issue. The remote might also have Japanese characters !
User manual might be available in English on the Net. Check BEFORE you buy !

About the internal transformer. Some amps , irrespective of where you get it, have only one input setting. I bought a Yamaha amp from the US . It does not have a higher voltage tap on it ! I have to use an external transformer . When I wanted to buy a Behringer amp from the US I asked Behringer about the power supply. It had an smps and it was fixed for 120 V. They said it couldn't be changed ! So I had to buy from Germany ! That was fixed at 230 V !

An external transformer is a pain and adds another 2 to 3 K to the cost. So when you do a cost analysis give weightage to 'nuisance value' . That should be 5 K I think ! :)
So saving a small amount for the amp isn't worth it. How about a nice DAC ? Maybe an amp with an internal DAC ? Pioneer and others have them. Might as well stick to stereo amps and not home theater types .
Don't need huge amounts of power....you need good sound ! 50 watts a channel is lots . 70 watts is just 1.5 dB louder and 100 watts is 3 db louder. A 3 dB increase is "just audible" and NOT a lot of extra volume as you might think. Think , good DAC and good sound ! If it's just 50 watts a channel it's fine.

Note that the boxed weight of the amp is on the Net. If it's on Amazon you will certainly get it's shipping weight and adjust your other purchases to stay under the weight limit. If you need to give gifts , these can be heavy . Better you don't buy anything there. Come back and buy Swiss chocolates or other things from the local market and give them as gifts ! Your amp is more important to you !
Cheers.
 
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What is odd is - my carver tfm42 and tfm35 both have 220 switches either just inside the cover or on the back. That is proper american made in the 80's and 90's and almost 90% sold in US. Japanese manufacturers making stuff for the whole world dont have that option in a lot of models.

Cool.
Srinath.
 
I think Moral of the story is:

"Don't get into much mess, buy everything in India & have a peaceful sleep every night, rather than thinking about warranty, power supply, volts etc in your dreams". :eek:hyeah::eek:hyeah:
 
After having gone through "years" of desperately buying ' better (?) performing or priced ' equipment from abroad I have learn't some significant lessons.

1. The saying " Nothing eventually really matters " is quite true !
This is easier said than 'understood' ! Maybe we need to go through our
many needless experiences to really understand it ! :)
Made very obvious when you 'look back' on the road you traveled and see the numerous expensive gadgets lying by the way side that just died too early or couldn't get fixed.
2. Murphy lives for ever ! He will also probably make sure your equipment will fail or give trouble the more you get attached to it ! If you can't fix it then you are condemned to Hell ......the unknown Repair person who could literally finish it off permanently. With all due respect to genuine good service people!
3. If you "miss" your chance to buy something nice today , the chance will come again and you will most likely get better equipment ! Basically there is no such thing as a missed chance ! A missed chance generates a new one later !
4. NOT buying a new electronic gadget is like buying "Peace" ! You don't realise it's there but you will find it's presence if you check your BP .....should be normal!.......maybe by checking your bank balance too ! :)
5. If it's a 100 /110 volt unit , then one day someone will forget it and plug it directly into the mains ....could even be you ! You will realise the mistake just as you flip the power switch and before you get to turn off the mains 'super quick' you will hear a pop or sizzle and maybe see smoke and your heart lying on the floor ! That's when you need to sit down and have a single malt .....and remember item 1 and 2 !
6. What percent of your waking time in life have you used your hi-hi system ?
You will find it VERY VERY small. Taking that you are awake 50% of your life and you are not a musician but have your own hi-fi that you 'love', you will probably spend much less than 00.10 % of your total time listening to music in this life ! This must really be the SMALLEST bang for the buck that we can ever get ! AND you weren't forced into it ........you called the shots !
7. Check the percentage of money spent ( and lost !) on your equipment versus what you have spent on your music library . Chances are that most of it is skewed toward the equipment. Not because you want to but the "peer driven DRIVE " that makes you buy equipment often forgets that the music was really the most important part and sole reason for having the equipment in the first place. Try hard to balance that out. I'd say much over 50% for music but higher if possible. Say 80 % ? Today that's easily possible ! ;)
8. Often no one except you in your family 'really' bothers about your equipment. Some siblings do but not very often. It's your own private affair !
9. Hi-Fi is an addiction ! They should have de-addiction centers ! :)
Not much different from Dope ! Gives you a high and costs a LOT of
money ! :D
10. However if we keep things under control, it's a fun thing to do !
 
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what budget do you have to spend in tokyo for the amp. You havent mentioned that and the replies are quite general in nature.

Please PM one of the FM's who was in Japan recently and take ideas from him. Search and you will find.

Sometimes people want amplifiers from overseas but it may make sense to get a good pair of speakers from abroad.

regards
 
Hello Guys,

I am here in tokyo for past one month and 1 more month remaining.

I will make a Hifi Stereo Audio system once i am back to Blore.

I was wondering, should i buy the integrated Amp from Tokyo or Blore ?
There can be various issues related to Warranty, Custom, Settings etc.

Kindly give your valuable and expert suggestions :)



Two months back I was in similar situation whether to buy amp or speaker from Japan. According to me you can buy speakers ,preamplifier or dac. Both DAC and preamplifier don't need much power so even if you use a converted it wont be a big issue. Speakers the issue is weight and size.

But it is nice to use the opportunity you have.
 
Buying in India or overseas often skews the opinions equally on both sides of the arguments. The usual consensus - If the price difference between what your are picking up overseas is astronomically cheaper than that available in India - pick it up. Of course the voltage and frequency it is rated for needs particular attention when buying equipment running on the mains. For passive speakers its relatively easier.
Having said that, i for one buy all sorts of stuff from overseas. My first HT in a box was a massive 2 Box Sony unit which tipped the scales at 45kilos, which i lugged back home when on my honeymoon.... yeah i know.... im still married by the way.... to the same person:eek:hyeah:. walked through customs individually and didnt have to pay a dime. Cost in India was exactly double the cost i picked it up.
Due to the nature of my job i travel extensively. So shopping from the world over is a given. I am an avid biker, so getting biking stuff including tyres from overseas was a task, but which i eventually did. While i am not here to condone it, you can always take a chance with customs, if you get through, well and good, if not, you pay up what needs to be paid.

After having gone through "years" of desperately buying ' better (?) performing or priced ' equipment from abroad I have learn't some significant lessons.

4. NOT buying a new electronic gadget is like buying "Peace" ! You don't realise it's there but you will find it's presence if you check your BP .....should be normal!.......maybe by checking your bank balance too ! :)
!

Hahaha, Fantastic, that was a very interesting read. Murphy would have struck again if the BP Monitor conked off at that very instant you decide to check your BP:lol:
 
From Japan, anytime. See if you can get 'Made in Japan' stuff.

Also, if using for audio and would be connecting some source to your amp, please pickup some cables from Acoustic Revive (these require lots of money though).
 
If I were you and decided not to bring in any equipment, I'd focus on picking up good music ! You can never loose out on that ! :)

Even a half decent system ( and you can easily do better than that affordably in India ! ) , will sound fine to you when you play 'well recorded' music. So check around for well recorded music which you like.
 
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