Martin Logan VANTAGE in the U.K.

[MJN]

I would love to buy the VANTAGE speakers in the UK. Issue is the dealers here ask for £ 4000 or $ 7100, compared to the $ 5000 list and $ 4000-4500 special offers I have been reading about for the USA market. Anyone knows a cheaper source for ML in England? (I know transport/duty/VAT add to cost, but 57 - 78%? ).

 

[twich54]

Put the shoe on the other foot, what would a pair of B&W 802D go for on your side of the "pond" ?? Besides all the dealers in my area are doing 10% of list at best.

 

[MJN]

W&B 802D are in the UK£ 8000 list or $ 14240 (!) versus $12000 on your side of the pond. Now how do they do that?! Still like your shoes better....

 

[magoo]

Couldnt agree more, as another UK based ML owner (and keen to move up the ladder), I reckon we get roundly ripped off by this pricing policy. Much as I love my pair of Mosaics, if I'd been in the US I'd have come in at least at Clarity level - and if the Vantages had been available a year back I might well have broken the bank to get them instead! If anyone from ML reads this thread, I'd ask you to ponder this: You clearly have an exceptional range of products, which obviously sell in some quantities in the UK - but just think how many more sales you'd make if the price was more in keeping with your home market. You would suddenly find for eg the Mosaic up against speakers in the £900-£1000 category, rather than in the £1800 area. It would become what you guys might call a "no-brainer" which to choose - and more importantly, given how many of us remain loyal to your brand, would gain you years of repeat business!

Sorry for the rant, but this has been bugging me for a while

regards all

 

[twich54]

Come on over !!

W&B 802D are in the UK£ 8000 list or $ 14240 (!) versus $12000 on your side of the pond. Now how do they do that?! Still like your shoes better....

OK, I give up Hop on the Queen Mary and come on over ! Actually the wife and I are planning to go to the Isle's sometime in 2007 so I could rent you my shack and you would have a pair of Vntages for a couple of weeks. I do agree though ....our shoes appear to fit somewhat better !!

 

[MJN]

Magoo,
I wrote to both ML and B&W. The latter was so nice to respond within less than 24hours.
Quote: "Many thanks for your email enquiry regarding the UK pricing of B&W products in comparison to the US. In the UK the product is subject to 17.5% VAT which is included within the retail price. Note that the State tax is not included in the published USA retail price. This varies from State to State."

I fully 'buy' this expalnation. Hey, these guys don't even charge for shipping and duty! Still have to hear from ML so.... If I do, I will let you know.

 

[aliveatfive]

MJN -

I sympathize. When I visited London last summer, I priced some Linn audio stuff at Harrod's. Despite the fact that the gear I looked at is manufactured in Scotland, it was more expensive to buy it in London than it is in New York!

 

[PRS]

Yes it's frustrating, seems like the norm in Britain though.. As i sit and write this i am listening to a pair of Vantages, they've been in my system for 3 weeks now and are really quite something, they are on loan from Guildford Audio and will be going back fairly soon as i have today placed an order for a cherry pair.. £4k, sounds a lot at first, now i think they are an absolute bargain, and whilst i've heard the summits several times, i dont feel the need for better, they are sublime.

Regards,
Paul.

 

[Robin]

Vantage...

I would love to buy the VANTAGE speakers in the UK. Issue is the dealers here ask for £ 4000 or $ 7100, compared to the $ 5000 list and $ 4000-4500 special offers I have been reading about for the USA market. Anyone knows a cheaper source for ML in England? (I know transport/duty/VAT add to cost, but 57 - 78%? ).

MJN,

Welcome to the ML Club!
Is it not possible to avoid the higher costs in the UK by purchasing your Vantages in the USA yourself on a business trip...
Would it be a possible to travel to the USA purchase a pair of Vantages, then take them back with you to the UK? More importantly wouldn't it be cheaper? Would you have to pay the 17% taxes? Would you need to change / adapt the USA Vantages voltage regulators to UK voltage?

 

[marck]

UK Prices

Unfortunately there is only 1 importer of ML products in the UK- Absolute Sounds. Hence they can get away with charging the premiums that they do. The best bet is to try and negotiate a discount with the individual hifi shop. I normally try and get around the 10% discount.
Marc.

 

[SugarMedia]

Okay, one post you didn't get to, but here's a worthwhile link and I don't feel a bit sorry for this guy. What a shitty mess behind his prized speakers.

http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=1020&highlight=laws

 

[magoo]

Indeed.......quite how anyone would spend 4k (be it $ or £) without first establishing they will actually work leaves me a tad puzzled

 

[Steve Daigneault]

i'm curious how much of that price hike for the UK and other countries outside the US are due to taxes and shipping costs. european countries have things like univeral health care coverage, which costs big time. they gotta pay for this somehow. taxes on "luxury" items are the first to find broad support politically.