There are now lots of Chinese hi fi products worth buying. (I’m currently interested in a DAC made by Cen.Grand). In many case it is possible to easily buy these products from a Western distributor, but I strongly suspect that the domestic price in China would be a LOT lower, if one could purchase direct. Has anyone in the looked into doing this and had success ?
I'm sure you've heard of aliexpress. While not the most "direct" as in from-the-factory-door direct, it is the closest I suspect you will find. In the last few years I have bought $10,000 from aliexpress and in every instance the purchase has met or exceeded my expectations. In most cases there was no domestic distributor for what I was seeking therefore aliexpress was the only option I could find. On rare occasions, I have engaged with the seller to get a better price.
Over the years the shipping logistics have greatly improved. Now it seems even the heaviest amplifier is shipped DHL air and arrives in just a few days.
Over the years the shipping logistics have greatly improved. Now it seems even the heaviest amplifier is shipped DHL air and arrives in just a few days.
I have bought a few items directly from China. Savings may be less than you think, check all the expenses carefully.
If the seller does have a e-commerce shop that ships internationally, I use it. Low-end brands usually have both a directly managed shop and a official store on mayor China ecommerce platforms such as Aliexpress.
More upmarket brands, such as the one you are interested in, often have a e-commerce presence for domestic market only. Open the domestic web site with the help of Google translator, check the official Taobao or self-managed shop address, then place a order trough one of the many Taobao / China proxy agents. The item you are interested in may be shipped by Taobao directly, but service is limited to a handful of countries at the moment. Cen.Grand does have a Taobao official shop but does not sells there the full product range listed on the international web site. This is common, many items are meant for export or direct store sales only.
The agent will ask a fee for the reshipping service - be sure to get a quote before the purchase - and you also need to pay import taxes. The domestic product may not bear the CE (or UK-CA in your case) logo, but it was never a issue on my experience as private buyer. It is a BIG issue instead when I buy as company, and it must be sorted out before shipping.
The major drawback of direct import is support and warranty. Shipping items to China for warranty or post-warranty repairs is very expensive (check any mayor carrier web site to see for yourself) and when the product comes back you need to pay import taxes again.
If the seller does have a e-commerce shop that ships internationally, I use it. Low-end brands usually have both a directly managed shop and a official store on mayor China ecommerce platforms such as Aliexpress.
More upmarket brands, such as the one you are interested in, often have a e-commerce presence for domestic market only. Open the domestic web site with the help of Google translator, check the official Taobao or self-managed shop address, then place a order trough one of the many Taobao / China proxy agents. The item you are interested in may be shipped by Taobao directly, but service is limited to a handful of countries at the moment. Cen.Grand does have a Taobao official shop but does not sells there the full product range listed on the international web site. This is common, many items are meant for export or direct store sales only.
The agent will ask a fee for the reshipping service - be sure to get a quote before the purchase - and you also need to pay import taxes. The domestic product may not bear the CE (or UK-CA in your case) logo, but it was never a issue on my experience as private buyer. It is a BIG issue instead when I buy as company, and it must be sorted out before shipping.
The major drawback of direct import is support and warranty. Shipping items to China for warranty or post-warranty repairs is very expensive (check any mayor carrier web site to see for yourself) and when the product comes back you need to pay import taxes again.
Over the years I have made many audio related purchases directly from China through eBay (US). Recently it seems the shipping has improved so orders arrive in about 7 days when before it was 3-4 weeks.
Documentation and support aren't usually that great, but I always got what I needed, eventually.
The two times I did have quailty problems, the seller just gave full credit and didn't want the item back. Never had to return anything, but it's probably like eBay international shipping, which is easy now by shipping to their US warehouse and they handle the export, etc.
Not sure how eBay UK is handling international shipping now, but it's probably worth looking into.
Documentation and support aren't usually that great, but I always got what I needed, eventually.
The two times I did have quailty problems, the seller just gave full credit and didn't want the item back. Never had to return anything, but it's probably like eBay international shipping, which is easy now by shipping to their US warehouse and they handle the export, etc.
Not sure how eBay UK is handling international shipping now, but it's probably worth looking into.
I do quite a bit of DIY electronics (audio/guitar/ham radio). With outfits like Radio Shack long gone, I have no choice but to purchase electronic components from China, either temu.com or aliexpress. For very specific components I will purchase from Digikey or Mouser so as to avoid counterfeits.
But for everything else, i.e., transistor assortments, resistors, capacitors, switches, basic analog chips, PCB development materials, test equipment etc.. - all come from China.
With regards to assembled audio equipment. I did buy an TDAxxx based 40watt combined FM/multimedia unit that I intend to install in an old sports car.
It's not a DIN radio, but more like a brick to hide under the dash. I have an Directed HDRadio remote head unit that needed a separate amp. It suits it's purpose and sounds fine, but the media player leaves much to be desired.
You won't be getting an HDradio capable unit out of China.
I did buy a small tube pre-amp that I run my guitar into my Hafler Audio amp. Just to get a bit of that vintage tube sound.
It was very inexpensive and works well. My only gripe is it has a stupid blue LED that is under the tube to illuminate it. An orange LED would have been better.
I also bought a small pre-amp board that had volume, tone, and bass controls. It came with a machined pin socketed dual op amp that I replaced with a modern TI high performance op amp. Not sure what I'm going to do with this - but it was very inexpensive. It is built well with high quality passive components. I will probably use it with a guitar at some point.
There are some pretty cool looking big tube amps and kits coming out of China. But I have no desire or experience with these items.
But for everything else, i.e., transistor assortments, resistors, capacitors, switches, basic analog chips, PCB development materials, test equipment etc.. - all come from China.
With regards to assembled audio equipment. I did buy an TDAxxx based 40watt combined FM/multimedia unit that I intend to install in an old sports car.
It's not a DIN radio, but more like a brick to hide under the dash. I have an Directed HDRadio remote head unit that needed a separate amp. It suits it's purpose and sounds fine, but the media player leaves much to be desired.
You won't be getting an HDradio capable unit out of China.
I did buy a small tube pre-amp that I run my guitar into my Hafler Audio amp. Just to get a bit of that vintage tube sound.
It was very inexpensive and works well. My only gripe is it has a stupid blue LED that is under the tube to illuminate it. An orange LED would have been better.
I also bought a small pre-amp board that had volume, tone, and bass controls. It came with a machined pin socketed dual op amp that I replaced with a modern TI high performance op amp. Not sure what I'm going to do with this - but it was very inexpensive. It is built well with high quality passive components. I will probably use it with a guitar at some point.
There are some pretty cool looking big tube amps and kits coming out of China. But I have no desire or experience with these items.
DAC produced by CEN.GRAND are sold on JD.com in China. The brand has promotions: Promotion: 50 yuan cash discount for every 300 yuan spent. Coupon: 100 off for every 101 spent.
But you need to consider the tax rates the UK imposes on imported electronic equipment. Tax rates range from 0% to 17%, and electronic products such as laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, and game consoles are exempt from tariffs. The British standard VAT rate is 20%, VAT = VAT rate × (CIF price + import tariff), and the starting point for tariffs is 135 pounds.
For express delivery, you can consider EMS, which is cost-effective and has a high chance of not charging tariffs. Shipped from Shenzhen, China, weight is about 5KG. The cost of international air parcel delivery to the UK is approximately RMB 500, which is approximately £55.
https://search.jd.com/Search?keyword=世纪格雷&enc=utf-8&wq=
But you need to consider the tax rates the UK imposes on imported electronic equipment. Tax rates range from 0% to 17%, and electronic products such as laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, and game consoles are exempt from tariffs. The British standard VAT rate is 20%, VAT = VAT rate × (CIF price + import tariff), and the starting point for tariffs is 135 pounds.
For express delivery, you can consider EMS, which is cost-effective and has a high chance of not charging tariffs. Shipped from Shenzhen, China, weight is about 5KG. The cost of international air parcel delivery to the UK is approximately RMB 500, which is approximately £55.
https://search.jd.com/Search?keyword=世纪格雷&enc=utf-8&wq=