I thought that now the AU$ is pretty much at parity with the US$ it would be a good time to look into a couple of Bose Compacts for my T4.

A Bose dealer told me however, that anywhere in Australia the price for the L1 compacts is fixed at $1,700 each, regardless of how many units you buy…. Yikes.

What are people are paying for them in other parts of the world I wonder?

Newman

About USD$999 in the States...

$999.00

much cheaper on Ebay..

I sold mine for $895.00

Mine was $999.00. Not happy at all with it. I hope I can sell it...

Thanks Diki, Dnj & Montunoman,
That info really puts a damper on my enthusiasm.
No way I'm going to put up with being gouged another 70% on top of their already inflated prices and from what you say maybe they're not as crash-hot as I'm led to believe.
I was going to audition them, but at those prices I don’t think I’ll bother now.


Cheers,
Newman

An audition with your GEAR IS FREE...
DON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE BUT YOUR Ears !
Good luck



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-27-2010).]

Newman,

If you have the opportunity to try them out I would urge you to do so. My experience(s) with the Bose L1 and L1 Compact have been nothing less than stellar. And, the vast majority of the performers that I know report similar results. Plug in your keyboard, set the EQs accordingly, fire up on your favorite song, record it as a MIDI file, then play it back through the Bose while you walk throughout the venue. Then, and only then, can YOU make the call. If you like what you hear--buy it. If not--don't buy it. And, if anyone else reading this resides in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., particularly in Northeastern Maryland, DO NOT BUY IT! If, however, you reside in central New Jersey, buy a pair of them and play the Jersey Shore. The boardwalk needs some new blood.

Cheers,

Gary

$1000US=$1025A

I expect that taxes make up the difference. Unless those are added AFTER. Here in the States, you can expect to pay maybe an additional 7% or so, depending on which state you are in (and if they expect you to pay Sales Tax on mail order goods)

My experience with sales tax statesde is that you only pay tax if purchasing the internet item from a store in the same state as you reside.

Newman, $1700AU still seems expensive. I love my Compact, but I got a great deal early on for just $800US. If had to pay full price I would probably be using something good but less expensive and be thinking my sound was still very good.

Hi Dnj,
As you say, it's probably a good idea to at least check 'em out I suppose but I'm a bit afraid I might like 'em.

Hi Gary,
Your suggestion is duly noted and the idea of pre-recording a few songs and taking a walk around is a good one. But the Price!
They also want over $4,000AU for the L1 with no discounts allowed.

Hi Diki,
In Australia we pay a flat 10% GST (Goods & services tax) on pretty much everything with no additional state taxes, so the price isn't justified due to taxation it's more like greed.

Hi cassp,
It is a lot of money; I would be a buyer at even $1,250AU for the L1 compacts but not $1,700. I think Bose are being too greedy for their own good.

Thanks everyone,
Newman

Newman,

I suspect the huge sum of money may be due to exceedingly high import taxes and shipping costs from the U.S. to Australia. I sent a fur coat to a young lady I once knew in Woomera, SA many years ago and the cost of shipping was more than the price of the fur coat. She was happy, but the cost was outrageous.

BTW: The price you pay for a compact is what you could purchase a full size L1 without the sub for here in the U.S.. Add another $500 for the sub. What does a T4 sell for in Australia?

Gary

I have no experience with the newer Bose Compact, but thought I would let you know that I use the Bose L1 Model II with Double Bass and the ToneMatch Audio Engine. I paid about $3300 US - very pricey, but... incredible sound in a small footprint. Easy to transport and quick to setup. Audience members and resort managers are amazed at the sound that comes out. I have gotten recommendations and referrals for a number of reasons - one of which is because of the small footprint me, my Motif, my singer and the Bose require.

I will sell you two like-new Compacts for $950. each, but you have to pay shipping.
Then I will turn right around and buy two more! Win-win situation!
DonM

If you don't have to sell your house to pay for an operation Down Under, that extra tax you are paying (import tariff's and business taxes don't show up on the invoice, they are just factored in) might be a decent deal..!

Over here in the States, sure, we might have cheap goods. But we got the world's most expensive health care, and exorbitant education costs. Swings and roundabouts...

Gary, Thanks.
The import duty (tax) in Australia for a pair of L1 compacts would be about 5% plus a $55 clearing fee and on top of that we pay 10% GST (goods & services tax) so on a pair of compacts it would be $300 tax + $55 clearing fee for a total of (assuming $1,000 ~ each for the compacts) $2,355 plus shipping; a long way short of the $3,400 Bose Aust. want. I’m sure the shipping cost wouldn’t justify the $1,000+ mark-up. The prices for most other electrical gear is pretty much on parity with other places around the world.
“What does a T4 sell for in Australia?” $7,500AU is Yamaha Aust. price, but at least you can shop around for those and get a far better deal, unlike the Bose stuff.


Truberto,

Thanks for your comments,
Wow the price of the standard L1 was quoted at $4,000 here without extras.
As you say the Bose are no doubt very good (hence my interest), It’s just that I resent being gouged especially to that degree.

DonM,

Good Idea, { )
Seriously, I actually thought of going for a holiday to the States and bringing back a couple of Compacts as icing on the cake, so to speak.


Diki,
Fair point,
We probably do have it pretty good here, other electrical gear such as big screen televisions, computers etc. are pretty much the same price as most other places in the world, but you get the odd company that tries to take advantage.

Regarding the health system, you’re right, a friend of mine had a heart attack (at the age of 42 mind you) and was rushed to hospital, he spent many days in intensive care and the bill at the end of it all was a big zero, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.

Cheers,
Newman