Wish I lived in Europe (1 Viewer)

[PaulDA]

I just bought seven hi-res discs in Paris (five SACD and two DVD-A) and they cost me 66 euro (about 100 CDN dollars). The same discs would cost me, at home, about double.

Too bad I can't carry all the discs I'd like to get.

 

[Rachael B]

If you lived there you'd start to get hip to the European lament and the VAT, Value Added Tax and zee wunderfullness auf dee import do-tee's. Bon points and zee malo 2....

 

[Phil A]

Yes Paul what Rachael said and they make your GST and HST seem tame. There are positives and negatives to everything. I was shocked when I went to Canada about 10 yrs. ago and Molson was a bit more than double what I could buy it for in the US. The cost of your health insurance is lots better than here. There are days when I see posts about nice expensive pieces of audio and HT gear I'd like to have vs. pay very expensive premiums and deductibles.

Rachael mucho impressed with you tax knowledge. Be careful how much you get to know though - I did (US) state and local taxes my whole career before retiring and I have gotten one person to believe my hair is the color it is from just painting my kitchen ceiling. I am always looking for others to buy into it too

Paul, you'll be happy to know I buy Canadian. My main system includes a Bryston SP 1.7 and Bryston 14BSST and 6BSST amps.

 

[PaulDA]

Well, I have to revise my position. Turns out it's just the one shop that had such good prices. A small independent who unfortunately doesn't stock all that much (though perhaps I can persuade him to send me stuff). Other stores charge about what stores back home do. :frowning:

There is a lot more SACD choice here in classical and jazz (though not pop--however, Peter Gabriel SACDs are hybrid here) virtually no DVD-A so it's not always rosier on the other side. Though I'd love to spend a couple of years here (only way to really see all the good art and architecture) I still love living in Montreal.

Phil, glad you can buy the Bryston stuff. Maybe someday I'll be able to move up to that level (amps first, possibly).

 

[Phil A]

Actually as much as their amps have a great reputation, I think their preamps are outstanding. My friend used to work in the high end shop and we had the opportunity to do lots of comparisons with real expensive things. As an analog preamp, I really like the 1.7 (or the BB-25). There are things out there that may be a bit better via digital connections but if you have a good analog source (CD, SACD or DVD-A player) it is quite a nice piece compared to other things that are even more expensive. Of course their warranty and service are first rate too.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

My roommate used to own a CD shop in downtown Seattle that carried lots of imports. German tourists would buy German import CDs from him because they were cheaper here than in their home country!

 

[Grant B]

When I went over to live in Bumfuck England for 2 years my salary almost doubled so I would get the equivelent of what I made in San Francisco.....which generally is 1st or 2nd in the highest COL in the US.
And London and the big cities were much more expensive than Bumfuck

 

[Rachael B]

Phil, I have European fiends who fill me in ou EU Rulz. I've visited the Low countries and Luxemborg too. I'm not too sure how low Luxemborg is? I'm plotting a return invasion presently, always am! I buy, sell, and trade LD's with some Europeans. I'm used to filling out Customs Forms and picking the "gift" option to minimize duty.

If you live in Europe and want to get an exotic AV device that doesn't sell in zat kun-tree, well.... the duty on bringing in something like an HLD-X9 or HM-DH4000U is a BIG double-whammy! I first learned alot of this conversing with Euro types over at AVS back when we had many LD discussions, those dayz.

 

[Grant B]

Yes, those were the days my friend
(God that was bad!)

 

[Rachael B]

Grant...I thought they'd never end...