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European Speaker Price Increase

The European speaker prices are killing me. I just can't pull the trigger on purchasing anything that is imported from Europe because they all seem to be increasing the prices due to the fall of the American Dollar.

Seriously, if I had bought a pair of JM-Renaud Euterpe speakers 3 months ago I would have paid $1995 - The EXACT same speaker now is $2895 - $900 more!! It will plague me until I am old and gray knowing that I missed the boat on the lower price.

The European speaker companies have to be loosing American sales because of this. I have considered the Jean-marie speakers, which I never got to audition and I have considered the Dali Ikon 6's, which I have audition (not sure they are right for me), but I couldn't pull the trigger on either one, mostly because I realized that I would have been paying way more than what I would have several months ago.

Sooooo......Do you think I will get more bang for my cheap, cruddy, American dollar by sticking with an American made speaker?
carter9000
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uru975
684 posts
 
Given the price increase would it be cost effective to buy in Europe, avoid VTA since it is going out of the continent and even with shipping costs be cheaper than buying here?
Once the Federal Reserve begins to finally raise rates again and chop off the nascent inflation that is building here the dollar will revive and foreign prices decline.
The balance is always restored one way or another over time.
unsound
7,318 posts
 
IMHO, Vandersteens "give you a lot of bang for the dollar".
mlsstl
1,417 posts
 
Nothing says you have to buy new right now. There are some great buys out there. For example, I just picked up a pair of the classic Spendor SP1/2Es for $1,200. The new SP1/2R model lists for $5,000 for the pair.

If you don't want to pay the bigger bucks for new European stuff right now, get something used at a great price and just wait things out until the dollar rebounds at some point in the future. If you buy wisely, you'll probably get most or even all of your money back on the used item.
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
Don't forget one would also get 17.5% (Value Added Tax) off the price of any merchandise purchased in the UK for export out of the EU.
That dreaded tax for the long suffering buying British public.
Gawdbless her majesty.
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
I find the prices too high as well. The best deals I see presently on spks. is on KRIX. They are practically giving them away. I own the Apex 3 MkII and the Equinox. Both are superb. Unfortunately, because they sre so unknown here in the states, resale may be difficult....
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